More than 20% of patients say they've caught an error in doctors' notes

Patients can often access their doctors' notes from visits, but a new study finds that these documentations can be riddled with errors. Researchers surveyed nearly 23,000 patients in the U.S. who had read one or more notes from their physicians, and more than 1 in 5 reported catching a mistake when looking over the notes. Of the mistakes that patients categorized as serious, around a quarter concerned an error in a present or past diagnosis, or an inaccuracy in medical history. Others reported errors about allergy information or information about the wrong patient altogether. Older and sicker patients were also more likely to find mistakes. Having patients read notes and provide feedback on possible errors could help improve the accuracy of doctors' notes, the authors suggest.