Electronic Health Records Show Promise, but Consumers Are Wary

by Nathan Eddy

The majority of those surveyed (69 percent) say having access to health data is a human right and they want to access all of their information, indicating consumers with chronic conditions believe it is their right to access their electronic medical records (EMRs), despite their own concerns about privacy.

Survey respondents with chronic conditions are less concerned with EMR data privacy than they are with data privacy in a number of other industries, such as online banking or shopping with a credit card. In addition, consumers with chronic conditions access their EMR more than healthy consumers.

The primary reason that people had not accessed their medical record was that they didn’t know how to access it (55 percent). Seventeen percent said they trust their medical records are accurate so there is no need to personally access them.

When asked, “Have you ever accessed your electronic medical records?” 30 percent of those with chronic conditions said they have, versus 24 percent of healthy respondents, indicating those patients with chronic conditions may be more active in some ways.

The survey also found that beyond accessing medical data, the vast majority (87 percent) of U.S. consumers want to control their health data. Although the desire for control is clearly and broadly evident, a little over half (55 percent) of those surveyed said they believe they currently do not have very much—or any—control over their medical information.

Sixty-five percent of those with heart disease said they have “complete” or “some” control versus 49 percent of those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) saying they have the same level of control. The report noted this information is particularly timely as providers are striving to achieve Meaningful Use Stage 2, where providing access to medical information is a core measure, such as providing patients with the ability to view online, download and transmit their health information.

“As consumers continue to demand more access to their personal data online, we expect that patients will gain more power to manage some aspects of their own care,” said Kaveh Safavi M.D., J.D., who leads Accenture’s global health business. “This will not only make health care more effective but also more affordable, as consumers doing more for themselves will free up the system to be more productive.”

“The research findings confirm that people—particularly the chronically ill—want access to their medical information,” the report concluded. “As consumers increasingly expect medical information to be available online, and as federal legislation supports that trend, it will be interesting to see how the percentage of patients accessing their EMR will shift over time.”

Interestingly, the survey revealed there were notable differences between patients, depending on the type of illness. The highest percentage of individuals believing the benefits of EMR outweigh the privacy risk was among those with cancer (57 percent). On the flip side, asthma and arthritis sufferers showed the lowest percentage, with just under half (48 percent) feeling the benefits of electronic medical access outweigh privacy risks.

A May 27th article in Medscape Business of Medicine suggested patients and consumers aren’t the only ones wary of EMR—doctors expressed concerns, although for different reasons. Some physicians feel the use of electronic records severs the personal ties between doctor and patient, and many thought the forms they are required to fill out to be annoying and overly complex.