A half million Cleveland Clinic patients gained access to more of their healthcare information Thursday “ and by the end of the year “ they will see all that is in their electronic medical record, including physician notes, via MyChart, the secure online portal.
As Cleveland Clinic officials see it, its the right thing to do because it will give patients a more complete picture of their health and empower them to make better, smarter and more economical decisions about their care.
Today patients can view their after-visit summary, medications list, allergies, immunization records, preventative care details, laboratory results, and radiology reports. If they want to see the rest of their medical records, they must contact the hospital to get hard copies of the EMR.
[See also: More patient engagement proposed for Stage 2 meaningful use.]
The new transparent MyChart EMR will give patients access to pathology records, X-ray reports, physician notes, and the list of their current health issues, which physicians use to briefly describe a patients health status, recent concerns, and known diagnoses. Patients will be able to view online nearly everything their doctor sees in their EMR, except for behavioral health information, which is prohibited from release by state law.
Patients continue to ask for more, and we feel that they need to have more information in their hands to be more engaged in their care, said Kari Posk, MD, medical director for MyChart.
In Posks view, providing patients with this convenient access to all of their medical data will enable them to play a bigger role in their own care and allow them to better collaborate with their care teams.
Our 21st century, value-based healthcare delivery system requires that patients are actively engaged in their health and healthcare decision-making, Toby Cosgrove, MD, CEO and president of Cleveland Clinic, said in a statement. It is our job to provide MyChart-activated patients with the tools and information they need to make informed decisions about their own healthcare, under the guidance and expert advice of their physicians.
Cleveland Clinic has taken several steps over the years to improve patient access to their medical records. Any patient can gain access to hard copies of their complete medical record, and, earlier this year, the reports associated with medical images including MRI, CT, ultrasounds, and mammograms were made available online through MyChart. The EMR system is expected to be fully transparent to the patient next year.
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