Good example from Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital of a successful and running patient portal, with 20,000 users. Would love to have this rather than my own cobbled together ‘system’. Quote:
Dr. Calvin Law, a cancer surgeon at Sunnybrook, noted there were initially some concerns that direct access to medical records would cause confusion or increase anxiety among patients. Instead, MyChart has led to better-informed patients, he said.
Doctors normally have a limited amount time to spend with each patient. During these relatively brief appointments, patients may not comprehend or remember everything they are told. By being able to review their doctor’s notes, patients gain a greater understanding of their condition. And if a doctor’s notes contain medical terminology or information that patients don’t understand, they can raise questions at their next appointment.
“It empowers the patients so much more – like we are in it together. And it is a whole new way of doing medicine,” said Law.
MyChart: One Toronto hospital’s e-health triumph – The Globe and Mail.