Abstract
Physicians’ notes are one of the oldest tools in medicine and have evolved into today’s electronic medical record. As we move toward greater transparency in health care, one emerging concept is that sharing information among patients, caregivers, and involved clinicians can improve efficiency, decrease redundancy, and decrease cost. The concept of improving health care delivery by sharing the medical record with the patient is not new. The Obama administration highlighted the importance of improved information technology by directing incentive payments totaling $27 billion over 10 years to encourage the meaningful use of electronic health records. One of the meaningful use objectives is to provide patients with an electronic copy of their health information. The electronic medical record and Internet technology, using patient and involved provider portals, provide new opportunities to engage our patients and other providers in care.
Feeley TW, Shine KI. Access to the Medical Record for Patients and Involved Providers: Transparency Through Electronic Tools. Ann. Intern. Med. 2011 Dec 20;155(12):853–4.
