Doctors, patients agree on how health IT funds should be spent

A survey finds the public and physicians overwhelmingly agree on how money allocated to advance health information technology should be spent.

The Markle Foundation in January published the results of two surveys it conducted in August 2010 that included more than 1,500 people from the general population and 779 physicians. It found both groups have widespread agreement on how health information technology can improve the health care system. Having buy-in from both is important to advancing health IT, experts say. (See correction)

"From a research perspective we feel it's important to get the views of the public and a representative sample of physicians," said Josh Lemieux, director of personal health technology at the Markle Foundation. Success depends on large numbers of both groups embracing the new technology and implementing it in a way that improves quality and cost-effectiveness and protects privacy, he said.

Lemieux said the survey data made very clear that the public expects benefits from health IT, and it wants data security and privacy protections to be part of the package.

Among the findings was that about 80% of both groups agree it's important to require hospitals and doctors to share information to better coordinate care, cut costs and reduce medical errors. They also agree that progress needs to be measured and goals set to address the nation's chronic health problems.

But the survey found both groups are largely unfamiliar with the federal health IT incentive programs aimed at making the medical records of every American electronic by 2014.

"Education will be an important factor in the success of this program," Lemieux said.

Though patients and physicians agree that health IT could help improve communication between the two groups, they disagree about where the communication gaps exist. Almost all the doctors surveyed said their patients forget, at least sometimes, important things they told them. Twenty-eight percent of patients said they never forget or lose track of information, and 42% said it happens but it's rare.

Similar proportions of patients (40%) and doctors (38%) said patients -- not doctors -- should be responsible for maintaining the most complete and accurate records about themselves.

In addition to health IT priorities, physicians and patients agree that payment reform is necessary to improve the health care system. More than 80% of physicians said they are paid primarily for the quantity of services they provide. About half of both groups say reforming the way doctors are paid is important to improving the health care system.