Researchers interviewed 28 patients at the VA (Ore.) Portland Health Care System. In 2013, the Department of Veterans Affairs became one of the first in the nation to offer OpenNotes access to its patients.
Here are four insights:
1. The transparency fostered a feeling of trust, particularly when veterans saw consistency between their appointments and what was written in the notes.
2. The OpenNotes access also made veterans feel respected when clinicians notes reflected their personal stories and individual strengths.
3. However, gaps in information, incorrect details and outdated material eroded trust between veterans and their mental health providers.
4. Additionally, notes that included diagnoses that have not been discussed with them upset veterans.
“Proactive clinician communication with patients about the content of notes and the note-writing process, as well as documenting strengths and highlighting the individuality of patients, may improve the likelihood of maintaining or developing stronger therapeutic alliances between patients and clinicians in the context of OpenNotes,” the researchers concluded.
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