Health Insurance Daily

U.S. Patients Embrace Online Health Data

More Americans want to access health care information through their computers, a new study by Kaiser Permanente shows. For instance, 56% of patients would like to be able to review health care claims and coverage information online, while 51% said they want online access to their medical records.

Only 12% of Americans manage their personal health records online, but 73% believe electronic medical records can improve emergency room care and reduce medical errors.

The majority of patients think a computer system is better equipped to manage medical data, compared to a paper system. However, 47% feel paper is more secure, compared to 42% who say electronic records are more secure, Kaiser reports. Patients are getting more comfortable visiting medical Web sites, such as WebMD, to track down health information.

Article provided by Benefitnews.com 5-10-07.

posted by Mike @ 9:40 AM