U.S. physicians believe that electronic health records (EHRs) are safer than paper records, according to a survey conducted for healthcare IT firm Practice Fusion by market research consultants GfK Roper.
The online survey was conducted on October 28 and included a sample of 1,220 medical professionals. More than half (54%) of the unspecified number of respondents selected electronic records as being safer than paper ones, citing access to records when needed. Eighteen percent of the respondents disagreed, saying that paper records are more secure because they are less likely to be lost or infiltrated by computer hackers.
GfK Roper also polled participants of its OmniTel survey, a weekly national phone survey of a representative sample of 1,006 adults. Patient perceptions were mixed, with 47% stating that paper is safer, compared with 39% who felt that electronic medical records are safer. The majority of those who preferred paper cited privacy reasons and that a healthcare provider has more control over their access.
