Oh, Canada. Once again, news from our friendly neighbors to the north makes good old America wonder how quickly it can expedite a passport application. A new survey by Harris-Decima for the Canadian Institute of Health Information and Canada Health Infoway shows that 85% of Canadian patients embrace the idea of electronic health records, while more than half recognize that there is an overarching goal to the conversion from paper to digital charts, and an incredible 96% of respondents think it’s important for the healthcare system to make use of digital tools.
The results of the survey, which polled more than 1000 Canadian adults across six regions of the country in 2012, show a generally reasoned and positive response to the idea of EHR adoption. Canadians are aware of the goals, recognize the impacts, and are generally comfortable with the way the healthcare system stores and uses their data. While lingering privacy concerns remain among a third of participants, 86% of respondents who have EHRs in their provider’s office think the move was a good idea, as do 84% of those who don’t use electronic records. Only 7% believe that EHR maintenance poses a significant problem for the system as a whole.
Surprisingly, younger Canadians were less likely to understand the different ways that electronic information could be used to analyze and improve public health. Only a third expressed positive reactions to the idea that personal health information (PHI) could be used to track population health vectors and produce a positive impact on patient care.
While recent data from the United States also shows a positive trend among patient perceptions of EHRs, Canadians seem much more trusting of their providers and their local governments than Americans do. A Harris Interactive survey conducted around the same time as the Canadian poll shows that 63% of Americans fear their PHI will be hacked by a malicious user, 50% worry about data being lost, and 85% overall experience some degree of noteworthy anxiety over the concept of EHRs – the same number of Canadians that embrace them.
Is there just a culture difference at work here? Are Americans more tuned into the sheer number of data breaches affecting organizations on a regular basis? Or has the recent political contention and spin from both parties over “Obamacare” soured American perceptions of the adoption of healthcare technology?
Maybe patients see how the haphazard and overwhelming adoption scheme has shaken up their physicians, who feel rushed during consults and must devote a significant portion of their time to their screens and keyboards. Whatever the reason, it’s worth noting that EHRs can produce positive emotions, and that it is possible to get patients to understand the reasons behind the changes and the importance of converting the healthcare system to modern technology.
