Embracing the new age of transparency: mental health patients reading their psychotherapy notes online

@article{ONeill2019EmbracingTN,
  title={Embracing the new age of transparency: mental health patients reading their psychotherapy notes online},
  author={Stephen O'Neill and Hannah Chimowitz and Suzanne G. Leveille and Janice Walker},
  journal={Journal of Mental Health},
  year={2019},
  volume={28},
  pages={527 - 535}
}
Abstract Background: Though patients’ access to clinicians’ visit notes may improve patient engagement and strengthen patient–clinician relationships, it is unknown whether these benefits extend to mental health settings. Aims: Examine patients’ attitudes and experiences reading their psychotherapists’ notes online. Methods: Using a mixed methods design, we conducted telephone interviews and an online survey of patients at an academic medical center who had opened ≥1 of their psychotherapy… 
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26 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
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Background Citations
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Methods Citations
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Results Citations
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26 Citations

Sharing Psychotherapy Notes with Patients: Therapists' Attitudes and Experiences.
Evidence suggests that the practice of sharing clinicians' notes with patients via online patient portals may increase patient engagement and improve patient-clinician relationships while requiring…
Preparing Patients and Clinicians for Open Notes in Mental Health: Qualitative Inquiry of International Experts
TLDR
The results of this study point to the need for further refinement of exemption policies in relation to sharing mental health notes, guidance for patients, and curricular changes for students and clinicians as well as improvements aimed at enhancing patient and clinician-friendly portal design.
The benefits and harms of open notes in mental health: A Delphi survey of international experts
TLDR
This iterative process of survey responses and ratings yielded consensus that there would be multiple benefits and few harms to patients from accessing their mental health notes, and questions remain about the impact of open notes on professional autonomy.
Sharing Clinical Notes in Psychotherapy: A New Tool to Strengthen Patient Autonomy
TLDR
It is proposed that open notes may provide an important new strategy to strengthen patient autonomy and improve clinical outcomes without sacrificing professional autonomy.
Patient and Provider Experience of Electronic Patient Portals and Secure Messaging in Mental Health Treatment.
TLDR
The implementation of electronic access to mental health notes requires a transition from viewing the medical record as the exclusive tool of providers to that of a collaborative tool for patients and providers to achieve treatment goals.
Patients, clinicians and open notes: information blocking as a case of epistemic injustice
TLDR
It is argued that patients’ access to their health information exemplifies a form of epistemic exclusion, one with practical and ethical consequences including for patient safety, and that patients are vulnerable to (oftentimes, non-intentional) epistemic injustice.
Sharing Clinical Notes and Electronic Health Records With People Affected by Mental Health Conditions: Scoping Review
TLDR
PAEHRs in MHC may strengthen user involvement, patients’ autonomy, and shift medical treatment to a coproduced process and further research is needed to examine the clinical effectiveness, efficiency, and implementation of this sociotechnical intervention.
Patients’ Access to Their Psychiatric Notes: Current Policies and Practices in Sweden
TLDR
The results show that regional differences concerning sharing psychiatric notes persist, despite Swedish regulations and a national policy that stipulates equal care for everyone, and there is evidence that the regions are moving toward increased transparency for psychiatry patients.
Patient Access to Mental Health Notes
TLDR
Key empirical questions are identified that must be pursued to inform ethical practice guidelines into opening mental health notes to patients, particularly among persons with serious mental illness and those accessing psychological treatments.
Sharing Ethics Consultation Notes With Patients Through Online Portals.
TLDR
An existing right that patients have to access their health record is appealed to and it is suggested that sharing ethics consultation notes might help patients understand key clinical ethics concepts and practices.
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