In what can be seen as a major milestone in the healthcare industry's march toward increased interoperability, OpenNotes has reached 10 million patients in the U.S., all of them able to view medial records online.

OpenNotes allows for patients to view medical notes written by doctors, nurses and other clinicians after a visit. Using secure digital portals, this access provides patients increased transparency and understanding in their care. Currently, the OpenNotes program is being used by the Department of Veterans Affairs and 50 healthcare facilities across 35 states. Those involved in the project are working toward implementation in the remaining 15 states.

Recently, a number of well-known health systems including Duke Health in North Carolina, Rush University Medical Center and Springfield Clinic in Illinois, University of Utah Health Care and the University of Kentucky Medical Center have started to share notes

“We’re thrilled to be making progress,” said Tom Delbanco, MD, co-founder of OpenNotes and professor at Harvard Medical School. “Ideally, the notes help tell the story of the patient’s medical life, and offering patients ready access to them is simply the right thing to do. We still have a long way to go, but 10 million is a big step toward making OpenNotes the standard of care for all patients.”

OpenNotes is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.