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Giving patients a copy of doctors' notes != giving them editorial power over doctors' notes. They're doctors' notes, after all. Both the doctor and the patient
by kijin 12y ago
Giving patients a copy of doctors' notes != giving them editorial power over doctors' notes.
They're doctors' notes, after all. Both the doctor and the patient can look at the screen, but only the doctor has the keyboard.
Of course, the psychological pressure to bend to the patient's wishes might be stronger if the patient can see what is being written down. But that's a kind of problem that rigorously trained professionals can learn to avoid to some extent. As you said, most doctors already know how to tell when a patient is seeking unnecessary drugs and/or procedures. Refusing to make unwarranted modifications to the records shouldn't be too different from refusing to prescribe unnecessary drugs and/or procedures. Liars gonna lie. Their ability and determination to lie is not one bit hampered by their inability to read the doctors' notes.
If someone tries to turn doctors' notes into some sort of wiki that both sides can edit, I'd be concerned. But not yet.
- idlewords 12y agoI would be interested to hear what physicians on HN have to say about this.
- carbocation 12y agoI write all of my notes under the assumption that the patient will read them. I consider my notes to be the patient's property - they (or their insurers) are paying me for them, anyway. It removes needless judgment (positive or negative) which is totally useless in the doctor/patient relationship, and permits me to stay focused on the subjective and objective facts, and my assessment.