
Markle’s survey uniquely compares the core values of physicians and patients on deployment of information technology in health care. It comes at the start of a new federal program to help doctors and hospitals upgrade from paper to electronic health records.
As billions of dollars in new federal funds become available to encourage use of health IT, this survey indicates that the general and physician populations share similar values on making sure the money will be well spent.
The public and doctors overwhelmingly agree on key requirements for information technology to increase the quality, safety and cost-efficiency of care, as well as core privacy protections. These findings are a powerful indication that both groups want public investments in IT to come with accountability and privacy protections, and lead to improvements in health.