Patient access to hospital records: a pilot project

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Medical Informatics
• Patient Rights

Background:

• Hospitalized psychiatric patients' access to their medical records is a key aspect of patient rights and therapeutic engagement.
• Understanding the impact of record access on patient outcomes and staff perceptions is crucial for improving mental healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utilization and effects of granting hospitalized psychiatric patients the right to access their current hospital records.
• To assess the impact of record access on treatment effectiveness, patient attitudes, and patient awareness.
• To evaluate staff comfort and perceptions regarding open charting in psychiatric settings.

Main Methods:

• A study was conducted involving hospitalized psychiatric patients, with a cohort granted access to their records.
• Data was collected on record utilization rates, treatment effectiveness, patient attitudes towards the hospital and staff, and record content.
• Patient awareness of the treatment program and record details was also assessed, alongside staff feedback on open charting.

Main Results:

• Thirty-nine percent of patients granted record access utilized this right.
• No statistically significant differences were found in treatment effectiveness, patient attitudes, or record content between patients with and without record access.
• Patients who accessed their records demonstrated greater awareness of the treatment program and record details, though these differences were often not statistically significant.
• Staff reported comfort with open charting and viewed it as a potential therapeutic tool.

Conclusions:

• Granting psychiatric patients access to their records is feasible, with a notable percentage utilizing the right.
• While direct impacts on treatment effectiveness and patient attitudes were not statistically significant, enhanced patient awareness was observed.
• Open charting is perceived positively by staff and considered a potential therapeutic intervention in psychiatric care.