Tackling Ambulatory Safety Risks Through Patient Engagement: What 10,000 Patients and Families Say About Safety-related Knowledge, Behaviors, and Attitudes after Reading Visit Notes

The researchers surveyed over 10,000 patients who have used their patient portals to view their clinical notes, commonly referred to as OpenNotes, on safety knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes. Over 75% of those surveyed reported feeling that their notes helped them understand the reason for tests and referrals, and about half of those surveyed felt that it helped them to complete those tests and referrals. The responses indicate that the use of OpenNotes can help activate participants and their families and help facilitate safety behaviors.

Citation for the Full-text Article

Bell SK, Folcarelli P, Fossa A, et al. Tackling ambulatory safety risks through patient engagement: What 10,000 patients and families say about safety-related knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes after reading visit notes. Journal of Patient Safety. 2021;17(8):e791-e799. doi:10.1097/PTS.0000000000000494