# An Assessment of Open Access Audio of the Clinical Encounter on Veterans and their Care

> **NIH VA I01** · JESSE BROWN VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2021 · —

## Abstract

Background: The medical encounter can be overwhelming in term of the amount of information discussed, its
technical nature, and the anxiety it can generate. Easy access to a secure audio recording from any internet
enabled device is an available low cost technology that allows patients to “revisit the visit” either alone or
sharing with caretakers and family. It has been introduced and tested outside the VA with evidence that it
increases patient recall and understanding and may even improve physician performance. Little is known,
however, about whether and to what extent these effects lead to better outcomes, such as improved
treatment plan adherence and chronic disease self-management.
Significance/Impact: This study will assess a new resource for enhancing Veterans capacity to understand
their care plan, and share information from their visit with caregivers. The study design is intended to yield
information to guide decision makers about the value of bringing “open access audio” (OAA) to VHA.
Innovation: The Open Chart movement, in which patients can freely access their written medical information
was a major innovation first introduced through the patient portal in 2010, and is rapidly disseminating--
including within VHA. OAA extends the same principles of full transparency and easy access to medical
information and, if successful, could also be incorporated into the patient portal. The VHA Office of
Connected Care, which manages MyHealtheVet has indicated interest in this project because of its potential
to transform the next generation portal.
Specific Aims: This study will access, using a randomized controlled trial design, whether the known benefits of
OAA (better patient recall and understanding) lead to several desired service utilization and health care outcomes. It
will also measure the effect of OAA on provider behaviors that may mediate those outcomes. Throughout, data will
be collected on participant and other stakeholder perceptions of the program that, based on prior research on audio-
recording in the clinical setting, reflect a readiness to adopt the new technology.
 Aim 1: Assess the impact of an open access audio program on two behaviors (patient activation, treatment
plan adherence), and two chronic condition measures (glycosylated hemoglobin, blood pressure).
Secondary analysis will descriptively measure effect size on ED visits and hospital admissions.
Aim 2: Assess the impact of open access audio on provider communication and on their attention to patient
contextual factors (i.e. individual Veterans needs and circumstances relevant to planning effective care).
Aim 3: Assess patient, provider, and leadership perceptions of the extent to which the program is safe, not
 burdensome, and worthwhile at both the start and at two years into the program.
Methodology: The setting will be primary care and diabetes clinics, at two facilities for generalizability. To
achieve aims 1 and 2, we propose a randomized controlled three arm...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10062627
- **Project number:** 1I01HX003055-01A2
- **Recipient organization:** JESSE BROWN VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** SAUL J. WEINER
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-08-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10062627

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10062627, An Assessment of Open Access Audio of the Clinical Encounter on Veterans and their Care (1I01HX003055-01A2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10062627. Licensed CC0.

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