21st Century Cures Act: Patient Perceptions on Open Information Sharing in Vermont Primary Care Clinics

Authors

Anthony Quach, The University of VermontFollow
Jared Stone, The University of VermontFollow
Rachel McEntee MD, The University of Vermont
Charles D. Maclean MD, The University of VermontFollow
Li Yao MD, The University of Vermont
Alicia Jacobs MD, The University of Vermont

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2022

Focus Area

Medical Practice Transformation

Abstract

Introduction:

The 21^st Century Cures Act federally mandated the release of progress notes, laboratory test results, and radiology/pathology reports to the patient’s electronic health record (EHR) portal. This study investigates patient perspectives on shared notes and addresses provider concerns about patient uptake due to potential factors like worry, confusion, and distress at the University of Vermont Medical Center.

Materials and Methods:

An electronic cross-sectional survey was designed and distributed to 7,240 eligible patients, adults who logged into MyChart on Epic and had an outpatient/telemedical visit at either the Colchester Family Medicine and South Burlington Primary Care locations in Vermont within one year prior to the study.

Results:

The survey response rate was 4.6%. Of the respondents, 90% agreed that the use of shared notes is a good idea, 76% found accessing notes easy, and 2% felt more worried about their health because of shared notes. 89%, 85%, and 82% of respondents found visit notes important for understanding their health, remembering their care plan, and feeling in control of their care, respectively.

Conclusions:

Based on this survey, provider concerns about patient stress may be overstated, as patients appear to benefit from shared notes through increased engagement with their health, communication with providers, and adherence to care plans.

Comments

Poster was selected as the winning poster in the Student Research / QI category at the Vermont ACP Annual Scientific Meeting on October 14, 2022.

Poster presented at the April 2023 American College of Physicians (ACP) conference in San Diego, CA.

Research presented at 2023 STFM Conference on Practice &Quality Improvement by Jared Stone, MS3 and Alicia Jacobs, MD FAAFP.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Quach, Anthony; Stone, Jared; McEntee, Rachel MD; Maclean, Charles D. MD; Yao, Li MD; and Jacobs, Alicia MD, "21st Century Cures Act: Patient Perceptions on Open Information Sharing in Vermont Primary Care Clinics" (2022). UVM AHEC. 1.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/uvmahec/1