Electronic Health Records: Doctors Want to Keep Patients Out
The emergence of electronic medical records has left many patients wanting access to their own health information. But a new Accenture survey shows that many doctors don’t think it’s a good idea for patients to see their records.
TUESDAY, March 26, 2013 — According to a new Harris Poll survey, conducted on behalf of the management consulting firm Accenture, less than one-third of U.S. doctors think patients should have full access to their own electronic health records.
As a patient, you may literally trust your doctor with your life, and the doctor-patient relationship relies on this level of trust. The relationship should be one of give and take, even if the exchange is sometimes dominated by the professional.
So it may come as a surprise that 65 percent of docs believe their patients should have only limited access to their electronic health records, and 4 percent believe patients should have no access at all.