Survey: Docs Don't Explain EHRs

When it comes to electronic records, health care providers have a lot of explaining to do, say consultants who analyzed results of an online poll of 2,720 U.S. adults.

Fewer than one in five respondents who have health care providers indicated that their provider has ever discussed EHRs with them, according to the Harris Interactive poll that was conducted in early May for Rochester, N.Y.-based Xerox Corp. Of those familiar with electronic health records, though, 51 percent said they thought EHRs would lead to better care -- up 2 percentage points from a similar survey in 2010.

Respondents expressed reservations about EHRs, however, including 82 percent who acknowledged concerns about digital medical records. Of those, nearly four out of five feared hackers stealing their personal information. About two-thirds worried about lost or damaged records, or that their information would be misused. (Respondents could select more than one concern.)

"The survey results indicate an urgent need for better patient-provider communication," says Paul Solverson, a partner in strategic advisory services at ACS, a Xerox business process outsourcing company. "Providers need to start conveying the benefits of electronic records, particularly the security advantages over today's paper-based system."

Although 45 percent of respondents said EHRs are necessary, about a third anticipate early glitches as digital records are implemented.

Feelings of fear and optimism about converting paper records to digital records appear about evenly split: 14 percent said the conversion frightens them - down 2 percentage points from last year -- while 11 percent said it excites them, up 1 percentage point from the 2010 results.