Patients who are nonwhite and less educated value patient portals to view clinician notes more than white and educated patients, according to a study published May 24 in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
OpenNotes, a nationwide initiative to improve access to clinician notes, has shown to improve patient engagement. However, its effect on less educated and nonwhite patients was previously unknown.
The study included the surveyed responses of 6,913 patients from varying backgrounds. Participants were asked to rate the importance of reading notes, on a scale from one to 10, for understanding health conditions, feeling informed about care, understanding the provider’s thought process, remembering the plan of care and making decisions about care.
Results showed 74 percent of patients with less than a high school education, 70.7 percent of black patients and 69.9 percent of Hispanic/Latino patients reported clinician notes were extremely important to feel informed about their care. This population also reported notes as extremely important to remember their care plan and make care decisions. Patients who were less educated were also three times as likely to report notes as extremely important to engage in care when compared to more educated patients.
“Less educated and nonwhite patients using the portal each assigned higher importance to reading notes for several health behaviors than highly educated and white patients and may find transparent notes especially valuable for understanding their health and engaging in their care,” concluded first author Macda Gerard, of Wayne State University School of Medicine, and colleagues. “Facilitating access to notes may improve engagement in health care for some vulnerable populations who have historically been more challenging to reach.”
Cara joined TriMed Media in 2016 and is currently a Senior Writer for Clinical Innovation & Technology. Originating from Detroit, Michigan, she holds a Bachelors in Health Communications from Grand Valley State University.