Engaging Patients in Care with OpenNotes at Sutter Health

Michael Conroy, MD, FACP, Chief Medical Officer, Sutter Medical Group. Improved communication and collaboration with patients are necessary to improve health outcomes, lower cost, and enhance experience for health providers and the people they serve.  As an example, studies show that 80% of what is discussed or recommended in a clinical visit is not recalled by patients. Better access to medical records is one relatively simple step to enable patients to engage in their own care.  Sutter Medical Group, in collaboration with the OpenNotes Collaborative, went live with publishing clinician notes through their secure patient portal in February 2016.  Dr. Conroy describes Sutter’s preparation and clinician engagement prior to go-live, and the experience since, including “lessons learned,” cultural change management factors, and future plans regarding effectiveness measurement.