OurNotes: A New Strategy to Improve Care for Complex Patients

Evidence shows that successful management of complex health conditions requires the close collaboration of providers, patients, and their caregivers, and that the transparency made possible by health information technology may facilitate that collaboration. This project will develop OurNotes, a novel approach for letting patients, caregivers, and providers jointly create clinical notes and care plans within the shared electronic health record. To begin, the research team will review previous research, interview experts, and convene focus groups to identify key elements of OurNotes and the process for co-generating clinical notes and care plans, including previsit histories and agendas and postvisit follow-up plans. The team will then build prototypes and pilot the program in five health care organizations. If successful, this testing could herald a new way to improve care management for high-need, high-cost patients.