English patients are willing to change doctors to access Electronic Medical Records (EMR), but just 16% of them currently have access, according to Accenture.
The global research of 9000 people from Accenture found there is a major disagreement between what patients want and what doctors want. Over three quarters (77%) of English patients think they should have full access to patient records but only 34% of doctors agree.
A huge 97% of English patients and 94% of doctors agree patients should have some degree of access to their EMR, but 67% have no access.
Giving access to records to patients could help them manage their own health. According to the research 63% of English patients are not self-tracking personal health information, such as blood pressure, weight and physical activity. This compares to 49% in the other countries surveyed.
“As consumers take more responsibility for managing their own health, the role of digital medical records is shifting from a mere clinical repository to a platform for shared decision-making among patients and doctors,” said Aimie Chapple, managing director for Accenture’s UK health business. “Self-tracking personal health information can help doctors identify health risks much earlier. When patients are part of the record-keeping process, it can increase their understanding of their condition and the treatment needed.”
Source: Internet
