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Mount Sinai Health System Launches OpenNotes Initiative to Improve Communication between Patients and Providers
Newswise — (NEW YORK – April 19, 2016) – Mount Sinai Health System has launched OpenNotes, a national initiative that allows patients electronic access to their provider’s notes in their medical records, at the East 102nd Street and East 85th Street Primary Care Associates of the Mount Sinai Doctors Faculty Practice offices. Mount Sinai is at the forefront of patient engagement as the first institution in New York City to provide patients direct access to the notes providers write during visits using the health system’s online patient portal. OpenNotes aims to provide the highest quality care possible by increasing transparency, communication, and trust between patients and physicians.
“When patients can access their physicians’ notes, they can better understand their medical issues and treatment plan as active partners in their care,” said Sandra Myerson, System Chief Patient Experience Officer, Joseph F. Cullman, Jr. Institute for Patient Experience, Mount Sinai Health System. “This can ultimately lead to improved patient engagement, patient empowerment, and communication between patient and physician.”
Four Mount Sinai physicians in various clinical practices conducted the initial OpenNotes pilot beginning in December 2015. Patients who participated in this effort reported satisfaction with their ability to access more in depth medical records and reported feeling more connected and involved in their healthcare. Patients noted the information provided a better timeline of care, history of treatments, and thorough explanation of office visits.
"Patients expect and deserve to have full access to their medical records and the Mount Sinai Health System is committed to meeting this expectation," said Jeremy Boal, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Mount Sinai Health System.
The notes are available for the first time in the health system’s online electronic health record (EHR) patient portal called MyMountSinaiChart. Portal users can now easily read details of their office visit from the convenience of their personal computer, tablet, or smart phone. MyMountSinaiChart, launched in 2012, also enables patients to communicate with their doctor, access test results, request prescription refills, and manage appointments. The addition of OpenNotes expands this innovative and secure technology to further improve patient care and communication.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services—from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.
The System includes approximately 6,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 12 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked as one of the nation’s top 10 hospitals in Geriatrics, Cardiology/Heart Surgery, and Gastroenterology, and is in the top 25 in five other specialties in the 2015-2016 “Best Hospitals” issue of U.S. News & World Report. Mount Sinai’s Kravis Children’s Hospital also is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 11th nationally for Ophthalmology, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel is ranked regionally.
For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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