Seeing medical records might ease hospital patients' confusion

Letting patients see their medical records while they're in the hospital might ease worry and confusion without extra work for doctors and nurses, a small study suggests. "The hope is that increased transparency achieved by sharing electronic medical records with patients while they're in the hospital would make them more engaged in their care, more satisfied, and more likely to ask questions and catch errors," said lead study author Dr. Jonathan Pell, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado in Denver. These days patients more often have access to electronic medical records from checkups and outpatient treatments, but typically only after care is completed — and not for procedures while they're in the hospital.