News in brief - March 21, 2005
Public divided on benefits of EMRs
Public divided on benefits of EMRs
Americans are evenly split over whether the benefits of electronic medical records outweigh the risks to patients' privacy, according to a national survey released during testimony presented on Feb. 23 before the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, a federal advisory group.
The survey found that 48% of Americans believed that the benefits derived from an EMR outweighed risks to privacy, while 47% disagreed. The survey also found that only 29% were aware that the Bush administration is promoting the implementation of a national health network to improve patient safety, quality of care and reduce health care costs while 71% were not.
The survey conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Privacy & American Business, an initiative by the Center for Social and Legal Research at Columbia University, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3%.
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