MU Health Care Gives Patients Access to Online Physician Notes

University of Missouri Health Care has announced that it is now giving its patients access to view outpatient visit notes through its patient portal.

To encourage patients to be more involved in their care, MU physicians have worked with the Columbia, Mo.-based Tiger Institute for Health Innovation to give patients access to their notes at the click of a button. Notes are available on MU Health Care’s patient portal, MU Healthe, for most outpatient clinic visits dating back to Dec. 1, 2014, its officials say. In August 2014, MU Health Care became the first academic medical center and the ninth health system in the country to meet federal Stage 2 meaningful use standards, the organization says.

“At MU Health Care, we believe that patients should be a part of the healthcare team,” said Thomas Selva, M.D., chief medical information officer for MU Health Care and professor of clinical child health at the MU School of Medicine, said in a news release statement. “By making clinic notes available to patients through our secure online portal, patients can play a more active and informed role in their healthcare. Our goal is for patients to ultimately have better outcomes and lead healthier lives.”

When a patient visits an MU Health Care clinic, the healthcare team records various details of the visit. This record serves as a summary for providers, and now patients, to reference. These notes can include clinical observations, diagnostic test results and other details of a patient’s care. These notes are automatically synced with MU Healthe, allowing patients to log on to view them after the provider has completed his or her documentation, according to officials. In addition to viewing physician notes, MU Health Care’s portal offers patients the ability to schedule appointments, view test and lab results and securely communicate with healthcare providers online.

“Many patients may not think to ask questions during their appointments,” Selva said. “But in today’s patient-centered health care environment, we want them to have access to their health information. By reading what their physician documents, patients can review the assessment of their condition, revisit any recommended steps and better recall their treatment plans.”