TY  - JOUR
AU  - Blease, Charlotte
AU  - Torous, John
AU  - Kharko, Anna
AU  - DesRoches, Catherine M
AU  - Harcourt, Kendall
AU  - O'Neill, Stephen
AU  - Salmi, Liz
AU  - Wachenheim, Deborah
AU  - Hägglund, Maria
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/4/16
TI  - Preparing Patients and Clinicians for Open Notes in Mental Health: Qualitative Inquiry of International Experts
JO  - JMIR Ment Health
SP  - e27397
VL  - 8
IS  - 4
KW  - open notes
KW  - electronic health records
KW  - attitudes
KW  - survey
KW  - mental health
KW  - psychiatry
KW  - psychotherapy
KW  - qualitative research
KW  - mobile phone
AB  - Background: In a growing number of countries worldwide, clinicians are sharing mental health notes, including psychiatry and psychotherapy notes, with patients. Objective: The aim of this study is to solicit the views of experts on provider policies and patient and clinician training or guidance in relation to open notes in mental health care. Methods: In August 2020, we conducted a web-based survey of international experts on the practice of sharing mental health notes. Experts were identified as informaticians, clinicians, chief medical information officers, patients, and patient advocates who have extensive research knowledge about or experience of providing access to or having access to mental health notes. This study undertook a qualitative descriptive analysis of experts’ written responses and opinions (comments) to open-ended questions on training clinicians, patient guidance, and suggested policy regulations. Results: A total of 70 of 92 (76%) experts from 6 countries responded. We identified four major themes related to opening mental health notes to patients: the need for clarity about provider policies on exemptions, providing patients with basic information about open notes, clinician training in writing mental health notes, and managing patient-clinician disagreement about mental health notes. Conclusions: This study provides timely information on policy and training recommendations derived from a wide range of international experts on how to prepare clinicians and patients for open notes in mental health. 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. 
SN  - 2368-7959
UR  - https://mental.jmir.org/2021/4/e27397
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/27397
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33861202
DO  - 10.2196/27397
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/27397
ER  -