Electronic Health Records
May 2, 2007
Health Care Information Technology Summit Survey Results Revealed
In conjunction with the Health Care IT Summit, Kaiser Permanente recently commissioned a 10-question phone survey of 1,000 American adults regarding electronic medical records. The margin of error was 3.1 percent.
| 1. To the best of your knowledge, does your primary care doctor use a: | Total |
| Paper record system | 22% |
| A computer record system | 57% |
| Both (volunteered) | 8% |
| Unsure (volunteered) | 13% |
| 2. Which type of medical records system is more efficient? | Total |
| Computer | 72% |
| Paper | 19% |
| Unsure (volunteered) | 8% |
| 3. Which type of medical records system is more secure? | Total |
| Paper | 47% |
| Computer | 42% |
| Unsure (volunteered) | 10% |
| 4. Before this survey have you seen, read, or heard anything about electronic medical records? | Total |
| Yes | 43% |
| No | 57% |
| 5. I'm going to read you some things and, after each one, please tell me if you have ever done that before. | Total |
| Visited a health-related website like WebMD in order to get more information on a health concern | 46% |
| Used a health insurance company’s secure website to learn more about your health care coverage or check on the status of a claim | 29% |
| Used a health insurance company’s secure website to review your personal medical records, such as past treatment, medications and test results | 12% |
| None of these | 46% |
| 6. Now, I'm going to read you the same list and please tell me how interested you are in doing each one – very interested, somewhat interested, not very interested, or not at all interested. | |
Total |
|
62% |
|
27% |
|
35% |
|
38% |
|
14% |
|
24% |
|
1% |
|
Total |
|
56% |
|
23% |
|
33% |
|
43% |
|
15% |
|
28% |
|
1% |
|
Total |
|
51% |
|
23% |
|
33% |
|
43% |
|
15% |
|
28% |
|
1% |
|
| 7. If two doctors had exactly the same qualifications, but one used an electronic record system and the other did not, which ONE would you choose? | Total |
51% |
|
17% |
|
29% |
|
3% |
|
| 8. If two health insurance companies had exactly the same qualifications, but one provided their members with access to an electronic record system and the other did not, which ONE would you choose? | Total |
| The one using an electronic record system | 68% |
| The one NOT using an electronic record system | 16% |
| Don't know/unsure (volunteered) | 14% |
| Refused (volunteered) | 1% |
| 9. I'm going to read you a list of benefits that supporters of electronic medical records talk about, and please tell me which ONE is the most important benefit to you. | Total |
| Better treatment in an emergency, especially when the patient cannot communicate with health care providers | 31% |
| An increase in efficiency and a reduction in the overall cost of health care, because shared electronic records are easier to keep and review than paper records | 24% |
| An increase in the ability of health care providers to share and review the same patient records and work together to deliver better care | 19% |
| Reduction in medical errors because health providers will have better, more reliable records | 15% |
| None of these | 6% |
| Don't know/unsure (volunteered) | 4% |
| 10. I'm going to read you a statement and please tell me if you agree or disagree with it: "The benefits of electronic medical records, such as better treatment in an emergency and a reduction in medical errors, outweigh any potential risk to patient privacy or the security of patient information." |
Total |
| Total Agree | 73% |
| Strongly agree | 21% |
| Somewhat agree | 52% |
| Total Disagree | 25% |
| Somewhat disagree | 16% |
| Strongly disagree | 9% |
| Don't know/unsure (volunteered) | 2% |