Helpful or Not, Patients Now Have the Right to Read Your Notes

As of November 2, your patients (and all patients in the U.S.) are entitled to immediate access to clinical notes related to their care, along with all test results and pathology and imaging results thanks to the 21st Century Cures Act. The newly enacted law requires healthcare facilities to provide timely, electronic access to consultations, discharge summaries, history, physical examination findings, imaging narratives, laboratory and pathology report narratives, and procedure and progress notes. While this has been celebrated by patient rights advocates, there is also concern that supplying patients with raw clinical information they may not have frame of reference for understanding could unreasonably scare patients. In addition, there are concerns that some clinicians may start constructing their notes in such a way as to avoid malpractice suits, or bolster their cause if litigation does occur. For more information on your rights and obligations, consult the 21st Century Cures Act directly.