Health Information Management

New poll finds Americans see value in widespread EHR adoption

HIM Connection, May 12, 2009

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Three out of four U.S. residents believe it is very or somewhat important for healthcare providers to use EHRs, according to an April poll of 1,238 randomly selected respondents that was sponsored by National Public Radio, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health.

 According to the poll:

  • 72% of U.S. residents said they believed their physicians would be better able to coordinate care if they used EHRs
  • 67% said the overall quality of care nationwide would improve if EHRs were used
  • 53% said that EHRs would reduce the risk of medical errors
  • 58% said that fewer people would receive unnecessary care if medical records were computerized

However, privacy and security concerns remain. The poll found that less than half of respondents felt very or somewhat confident that their medical information would remain confidential if it was stored electronically and could be shared online. Seventy-six percent believe that it is very or somewhat likely that an unauthorized person would be able to access their medical record

For more information, view the report titled "The Public and the Health Care Delivery System."



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