Show me the technology! That is the conclusion of a study
from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) to be released in the
Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM) in June. The study reveals that
consumers who are defined as “internet-savvy” are ready to take a
chance on electronic health records (EHR) despite warnings of potential privacy
risks.
The study, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), investigated
whether or not patients were comfortable making the leap with their health care
providers to the digital age through the adoption of EHRs. In the tech-savvy
cities where they held focus groups, the answer was a resounding
‘yes.’ Not a terrible surprise given that they investigated
consumers in Boston, Portland, Tampa and Denver—some of the more
tech-educated spots in the country. However, investigators did attempt to
include a diverse group of people, drawn from both urban and rural areas.
Additionally, they included health professionals in their study to compare
their perspectives about health technology relative to consumers.
The findings should not come as a major surprise since an estimated 60
percent of households across all states have a home internet connection.
Citizens are increasingly interested in managing their lives via
computer—EHRs seems a natural progression in this evolution.
Yet, the
study findings echo a sense of surprise at the willingness of consumers to give
up some of their privacy in order to obtain greater transparency with respect
to their health information. In actuality, it may be more of a reflection of
the distrust and frustration with the current patient-physician/health care
provider relationship where one may deem transparency of much greater
importance than whether or not someone uncovers that they have kidney
stones…
Related Stories:
Get our Newsletter!
Click here to sign up and stay informed
