The Importance of Accessible,Patient-Focused Language in the Age of the Electronic Medical Record

Abstract

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

OpenNotes. U.S. federal rule mandates open notes. Open Notes. June 12, 2025. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://www.opennotes.org/onc-federal-rule/.

Wise

. For whom the note scrolls: a brief history of the medical record's role in education and the risks it faces in the age of OpenNotes. Neurol Educ. 2024;3(3): e200147. doi:10.1212/NE9.0000000000200147

Gerard

Fossa

Folcarelli

, et al. What patients value about reading visit notes: a qualitative inquiry of patient experiences with their health information. J Med Internet Res. 2017;19(7):e237. doi:10.2196/jmir.7212

Walker

Leveille

Bell

, et al. OpenNotes after 7 years: patient experiences with ongoing access to their clinicians’ outpatient visit notes. J Med Internet Res. 2019; 21(5):e13876. doi:10.2196/13876

Mishra

Hoyt

Wolver

, et al. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of patients’ perceptions of the patient portal experience with OpenNotes. Appl Clin Inform. 2019; 10(01):010-018. doi:10.1055/s-0038-1676588

Sarabu

Lee

Hogan

Pageler

. The value of OpenNotes for pediatric patients, their families and impact on the patient-physician relationship. Appl Clin Inform. 2021;12(01): 076-081. doi:10.1055/s-0040-1721781

Kelly

Hoonakker

PLT

Nacht

, et al. Parent perspectives on sharing pediatric hospitalization clinical notes. Pediatrics. 2022;151(1):e2022057756. doi:10.1542/peds.2022-057756

Gotlieb

Praska

Hendrickson

, et al. Accuracy in patient understanding of common medical phrases. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(11):e2242972. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.42972

Davidge

Blease

Brown

, et al. ‘Getting it write’ in an era of online electronic health records access in primary care: a qualitative study exploring the needs and requirements of underserved patients and carers. Patient Educ Couns. 2025;138:109192. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2025.109192

10.

Puhl

Peterson

Luedicke

. Motivating or stigmatizing? Public perceptions of weight-related language used by health providers. Int J Obes. 2012;37(4):612-619. doi:10.1038/ijo.2012.110

11.

Bhanu

. Simian crease in man: some methodological considerations. J Hum Evol. 1973;2(2):153-160. doi:10.1016/0047-2484(73)90062-6

12.

Wahl

Dupont

Tubbs

. The simian crease: relationship to various genetic disorders. Clin Anat. 2019;32(8):1042-1047. doi:10.1002/ca.23432