Majority of US consumers want full access to EMR

(HealthDay)—Most U.S. consumers want to have full access to their electronic medical records (EMR), and 41 percent would be willing to switch doctors to gain access, according to a survey published by Accenture.

Researchers from Accenture surveyed more than 9,015 adults (including 1,000 U.S. consumers) in nine countries to examine consumer perceptions of their medical providers' electronic capabilities.

According to the report, 41 percent of U.S. consumers would be willing to switch doctors in order to gain online access to their EMR. About one-third of U.S. consumers currently have full access to their EMR, and 57 percent self-track their personal health information, including health history, physical activity, and health indicators (37, 34, and 33 percent, respectively). Eighty-four percent of U.S. consumers believe they should have full access to their EMR, but only 36 percent of physicians agree. Sixty-five percent of physicians believe patients should have limited EMR access, which is what 63 percent of consumers currently have.

"Just as consumers can self-manage most other aspects of their lives, they expect to take greater ownership of their medical care, and they are willing to switch to doctors who share their values and are willing to provide access to consumer records," Kaveh Safavi, M.D., J.D., managing director of Accenture's North American health business, said in a statement.

Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.