Survey: Health Info May Help Keep Patients Healthier
People who have access online to their own health information know more about their health and take better care of themeselves, a new survey released Tuesday found.
The survey, which polled 1,849 adults 18 and older Dec. 18-Jan. 15, was conducted for the California HealthCare Foundation and surveyed people's use and attitudes toward personal health records (PHRs). Personal health records differ from electronic health records (EHRs) in that patients control PHRs, while health care providers control EHRs. About $19 billion was included in last year's economic stimulus package for health information technology including the adoption of EHRs.
"Users say that secure, password-protected PHRs give them the confidence they need to access their personal information online, and when they do, they pay more attention to their health," according to the foundation.
The survey found that most Americans still don't use PHRs, with only 7 percent of those surveyed saying they have used them, but the rate has more than doubled since a 2008 poll from the Markle Foundation was released. And 40 percent of those who do not have access to a PHR "expressed interest" in using one.
Among the small population who have used PHRs, one in three said they had taken specific steps to help improve their health and 56 percent said they know more about their health because they have access to these records. Some of those who appear to have benefited the most from having access to their PHRs "have been difficult for health care providers to engage: those with multiple chronic conditions, less education and lower incomes," the foundation said in its report on the survey results.
The survey found there are still concerns about the privacy and security safeguards surrounding the use of PHRs. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they were concerned about the privacy and security of their health information. A majority, 58 percent, said they are more comfortable using PHRs if they are provided by their own physicians.
"This survey shows that when individuals have easy access to their health information, they pay greater attention to their health," foundation President and CEO Mark D. Smith said in a statement. "And for the first time, the survey documents that PHRs empower some people - including some of the heaviest users of the health system - to take better care of themselves."
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