Consumers want EHR exchanges ? if secure
- By Maureen McKinney
- May 04, 2007
Health care consumers strongly support the secure exchange of electronic health information, especially when they're given further guidance about what information sharing actually entails and its potential benefits, according to research findings released this week by the eHealth Initiative Foundation.
Among the key findings of eHI's consumer attitude and opinion research study was that 70 percent of consumers favor a health information exchange.
Although responses to the phrase, "secure electronic information exchange," were initially neutral, respondents became significantly more engaged and supportive once they were given brief definitions and some background explanation.
The eHealth Initiative Foundation used that research, with help from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop the Connecting Communities Toolkit, also released this week.
The toolkit includes artwork, brochures, customizable radio announcements and PowerPoint presentations ? all aimed at boosting government outreach to clinicians and consumers by increasing awareness of the need for integrated health information.
In one of the radio announcements, for instance, a frantic ER physician calls a nearby family practice to get medical records for his unconscious patient. After an automated message with information about appointment scheduling and hours of operation, his call is disconnected.
As the dial tone fades out, a woman's voice says, "In an emergency, doctors need your medical information, and you might not be able to give it to them. With electronic health information exchange, your doctors can securely access your medical history in just a few seconds. A few seconds might save your life."
Those types of urgent-sounding messages are important, according to eHI officials, because consumers respond most strongly to the need for electronic information exchange when they are given examples of difficulty accessing medical records in emergencies, out-of-state situations and natural disasters.
In addition to the public education tools, which are available free of charge, eHI also has a new section on its Web site devoted to best-practice examples of state and local governments that have used the Connecting Communities Toolkit successfully.
About the Author