If you could read your doctor’s notes on your health, would you do it? That’s an option that thousands of people who use Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center can now consider. The Boston Globe reports that 100 doctors at that hospital and two
other sites will allow 25,000 to 35,000 patients to read their
physicians’ notes for a year as part of their online medical record. The new transparency is part of a study, of course, by which researchers
hope to learn whether the notes prove more useful than objectionable.
The Globe reports that doctors are hoping that access to their notes will improve care partly
because patients will become more knowledgeable about their treatment
and about their doctors’ instructions.
So what’s the answer? Would you look at what your doctor writes about you? Click on “Comment” below and tell us why or why not.
Health, fitness and lifestyle tips for people over 50 who still like to play hard
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Yes I would read my Dr.’s notes. It probably wouldn’t make much difference because like most Docs you cant read his handwriting. But yes. I think it would be quite informative to read what could be deciphered.
The doctors should not have anything to worry about? Have any of you tried to read anything that your doctor has written including prescriptions or notes on your lab reports??
As a doctor myself, I usually dont ask to see my notes about me. Would I care if a patient wants to see theirs? No. In fact everyone has a right to request a copy of their notes already. Most never will. As a sports med physician I wonder if patients would be motivated or annoyed by the usual descriptors in notes “Obese, deconditioned, poor health habits, strong smell of tobacco, ect”.
ABSOLUTELY !! It’s hard enough to think you have a qualified person; so reading his/her thoughts gives me another oportunity to judge whether I want this person to prescribe for me. It’s not like years ago, now we are numbers to many. BUYER BEWARE !!!!
I’d be concerned that people would misconstrue information, particularly medical terms, and over-react in less-than-helpful ways. For example, we have online access to Kaiser test results, and my elderly mother became very worried that she was anemic because the doctor wanted to re-test her platelet count (nothing to do with anemia). She started eating liver 3 times a week! (uck, uck, uck)
As a hospital nurse, I always read doctors’ notes. It helped in caring for my patients. I would read my doctor’s notes to help me take care of myself.
Just wait until a few doctors are sued because of something in the notes and then the Doctors won’t say anything in the notes !! That will mean less avaialable information for other doctors who ight provide additional treatment. Another decline in health care because people think they know better than anyone.
YES, EVEN THOU LESS THEN HALF WOULD NOT BE UNDERSTOOD, BUT YOU WOULD GET AN IDEA OF WHAT THE DOC IS DOING,ANOTHER QUESTION IS WHETHERE THE DOC WILL MAKE UP WHAT HE WROTE NEXT TIME YOU VISIT HIM. i DO BELIVED IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR HEALHT, SO WHEN AN OTHER DOC ASK YOU WHAT THEY DID BEFORE YOU WILL KNOW.
Yes; thankfully, I can read most doctors’ writing. I would like to know what the doctor’s subjective and objective thoughts are. I could always change doctors if I were displeased with what s/he wrote. However, I believe I would be more inclined to follow their directions if I read their notes. I think it’s a good idea.
Yes, even though I might not have a clue as to what they are saying. I have peeked before. The handwriting is usually very messy. I did, however, make out “Uterus NSSC” and it took me a while to figure out what that might mean.
How about giving a couple of examples of what an actual doctor’s notes looks like.
When my wife was pregnant with our second child (about 30 years ago) there was a misdiagnosis (subsequently corrected with no ill effects). We were sitting in the radiology examining room for a sonogram and the radiologist left the room for a few moments but left our patient records there, which I promptly began to read. He was pissed when he got back and I was really surprised–I thought the records were about us and I should damn well be able to read them. I am glad society is catching up to ideas that have been floating around for a long, long time.
First of all, Doctors no longer “write” their notes. They record them, and they’re ‘transcribed’ by…well medical transcribers (a good job) I’ve done it from my home computer. I pick up the tapes at the MD’s office, transcribe them and return them to the physician’s staff to add to the patients file.
To the question, I feel it is the “Legal Right” of patients to have available and read ANYTHING that is written about them. And in some states that is the Law, You can request an appointment to view your medical records, most offices require a 2 week minimum notice (this is prolly so the Doc can review and take out anything he doesn’t want you to see lol
I live in Florida, absolutely, I get a copy of the Doc’s notes every time – to keep myself informed and to share that info with other specialists I am involved with (GP, Pulmonary and Cardiac).