The Health Sciences Spotlight

Patients, Providers, Secrets, and Rights

  

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A combination of patient advocacy campaigns, the increase in and accessibility of electronic medical records, and a more interested and educated patient base has begun to change the character of patient-provider communication.   A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that 90% of patients are interested in the information providers write in their medical records (Walker et al., 2011).  In fact, many of the study participants stated that seeing their records would improve their adherence to their medications (75%), that they would be encouraged to be more in control of their care and take better care of themselves, and that they would "share the notes with friends and family, which may further increase the likelihood that they will follow their doctor’s advice and benefit from the care they receive" (20%).  Findings like these open the door to more talk about the benefits of open access to one's medical record, especially regarding patient empowerment to take control of their care and a desire to educate themselves about their health.

There is, however, another side to this movement in favor of open access. Healthcare providers have speculated that there will be an increase in demand for their time during visits due to an increase in patient questions. Many providers also argue that this access will cause undue confusion and misinterpretation. Though these concerns have not yet been validated in trials, they cannot be ignored. 

I had a good discussion on with one of our Twitter followers on the potential issues with patients being privy to all of their medical information. She made the excellent point that provider-provider professional communication about patients may be censored and lose meaning. This, therefore, hinders professional communication and, potentially, the quality of care the patient receives.

Advocates for opening access completely to patients have their hearts in the right place, but there will always be a need for a professional-use-only way to make notes.  If it's not within the patient record, it'll manifest in another form.