I would say that “snarky” comments should not be a part of any medical note, so that’s unprofessional. Again though, these notes are not designed for patient consumption. As a physician myself, I have ZERO interest in reading my own doctor’s notes about my health—and I would prefer a system where my doctor doesn’t feel like he’s writing a document which I will be reading immediately. I want him to consider all the possibilities, even things that might be uncomfortable to me. I want him to get as close to truth discovery as possible and I don’t want to get in the way. If I don’t trust him to do so, I should find another doctor.
The system as it was previously was better. I could request a full copy of my medical records whenever I wanted, but without making my doc feel like I could be constantly snooping on his notes. I know all of this “patient empowerment” seems like a good thing, but there may be some serious downsides of this implementation.
What I would really like is an encrypted file that I can carry on me with an open format of all relevant medical records / labs / imaging that could be decrypted by any hospital or clinic EMR. That way, even if I’m unconscious or have forgotten my password, medical care can be given efficiently.
