1. OpenNotes: Expanding patient access to clinical notes
Increase medical record transparency through OpenNotes

2. What is OpenNotes?
OpenNotes is a national initiative working to give patients access to their visit notes and improve transparency of the medical record.
The initiative is a free process for sharing clinician notes that is available through several electronic health record (EHR) platforms. It encourages and invites patients, families and physicians to come together to improve communication.

3. OpenNotes has provided more than 12 million patients with access to their notes online. After using OpenNotes, 99% of patients and more than 75% of physicians wanted OpenNotes to continue.

4. What are the benefits of sharing visit notes?
Improved patient communication and education
Improved patient-physician relationship
Increased engagement by patients and sense of control over their own care
Patients’ caregivers Patients’ are better able to optimize care
Improved patient safety

5. Six steps to increasing patient access to clinical notes through OpenNotes
Make the case for OpenNotes in your organization
Plan what OpenNotes will look like in your practice
Prepare your practice
Adapt documentation style as needed
Learn to handle challenging topics in an OpenNotes environment
Collect patient and clinician feedback about OpenNotes to refine your approach

6. Tools/Resources available to your practice
Sample OpenNotes introductory letter/ for patients
Sample OpenNotes FAQ for patients
Sample OpenNotes introductory template for staff
Tips for improving your notes
Sample Survey

7. How is it working at other practices?
Boston, MA
Steps in Practice Summary = Location Featured Here
Summarize the description of the steps in practice section in a bulleted format
Keep it concise and straight to the point
Think about what information would be helpful to a practice manager that is presenting this information
Review other module pitch decks for examples
Sioux Falls, SD

8. For additional resources, frequently asked questions and implementation support, visit stepsforward.org