OpenNotes Information

OpenNotes is a movement to make health care more open and transparent. We do this by conducting research and providing free tools and resources that help clinicians and health care systems share visit notes with patients. In collaboration with activist patients, clinical and administrative champions, researchers, advocacy organizations, and philanthropic foundations, our mission is to call for a fundamental change in medical practice - the sharing of notes with patients - with the goal of empowering patients, families, and care partners to feel more in control of their health care decisions and improving the quality and safety of care. What are notes? Written by doctors, nurses, therapists, and other health professionals, notes describe interactions with patients and are part of the medical record. When these notes are shared with patients, they become open notes. Why share notes? OpenNotes helps patients be more actively engaged in their health care, and research shows that engaged patients get better care. Patients who read their notes report a better understanding of their conditions, feeling more in control of their health and health care, more empowered to make heath care decisions in partnership with their care team. Patients are also able to report inaccuracies in the record, helping to make their care safer. The OpenNotes movement is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Peterson Center on Healthcare and the Cambia Health Foundation, in addition to project-specific grants from CRICO and The Commonwealth Fund of New York.