When it comes to consumer use of health IT, demand seems to be outstripping supply and it’s creating the great healthcare chasm.
Results of a new survey show that while three out of four patients are eager to access health records online through EMRs and more than 60 percent want to communicate with their doctor via email or other Internet technology, only 40 percent of physicians said they had the capability to interact with patients through email or give them access to their online health records. This despite the fact that 70 percent of surveyed physicians said they had basic electronic medical records capability within their organizations.
The data comes from Optum Institute, part of health insurance giant UnitedHealth Group’s health IT and services division Optum, and Harris Interactive, which surveyed 1,000 physicians, 2,870 U.S. adults and 400 U.S. hospital executives between May 20 and June 12.
Consumers’ desires for online communication and access of health records is not limited to the young. The survey found that 57 percent of the seniors who participated in the survey said that they want to go online to interact with care providers and manage their health.
“While hospitals and physicians have made considerable progress in adopting new technologies, our research underscores the pressing need to increase the level of patient-facing technology to create strong, two-way patient-physician communication,” said Carol Simon, director of the Optum Institute, in a news release.
Here are some more results:
- 76 percent of patients are willing to go online to view test results
- 65 percent want appointment reminders via email
- 62 percent of patients want to communicate online with their primary care physician
- Physician use of EMRs has increased sharply t0 70 percent from 55 percent since November 2011
- Only 46 percent of physicians currently haveEMRs that provide patients with tailored information to assist patients in decision-making andself-management
[Photo Credit Big Stock Photo]
By Arundhati Parmar
Arundhati Parmar is the Medical Devices Reporter at MedCity News. She has covered medical technology since 2008 and specialized in business journalism since 2001. Parmar has three degrees from three continents - a Bachelor of Arts in English from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India; a Masters in English Literature from the University of Sydney, Australia and a Masters in Journalism from Northwestern University in Chicago. She has sworn never to enter a classroom again.More posts by Author
@mmodal Thanks for the shoutout re: healthcare chasm
@IsaacThangasamy @edwinkruys EMR access, email advice etc is all fine but issue when with who pays - esp with email.
@DrHenryWoo @EdwinKruys Agreed, but may use email appt reminders from secretary, or social media interface. Rather than trad office based?
@rchia1974 @KPNewscenter Adoption and usage of KP #PHR through the roof > 4Mil patients
Currently the RACGP says we can't email because it is not secure. Personally, most of my patients don't care that much, and would prefer easy communication to none...but there is the spectre of " accreditation" that seems to strike terror into every GP's heart and prevents sensible decisions being taken. Of course, some GP's don't actually want to communicate with their patients, but clearly they are the rubbish ones.
@fredbassett would love to see how UK stacks up. I email with my oncos but can't my GP - bit of a worry as our healthcare landscape changes!
@he4dgirl I have circumstantial evidence that confirms yours. Thing is, email would be so much more efficient!
@rajnishkohli guess its more to do with the comfort levels of Doctors in adopting IT !
@keithdarce Thanks for the RT.
My exp, exactly. RT @medcitynews: The great healthcare chasm: Patients want to email, access EMRs, but MDs still can’t http://t.co/oylfMXk4