Reports From the Field: Americans wary of technology’s impact on health care
Despite embracing technology in many aspects of their everyday lives, people are conflicted about the impact of information technology on their health care, according to a new survey.
While 59% of those surveyed agreed that information technology will give them a sense of empowerment in managing their health, a majority (53%) believe that new information technology will end up being more trouble than doing things the old way.
More than 60% believe that information technology will help them avoid unnecessary visits to the doctor but 77% believe that physicians will miss subtle clues in on-line interactions that they would pick up during a face-to-face encounter, according to the survey by First Health Group Corp.
At the same time, 61% believe that technology will raise the cost of health care, and 89% believe that patients will end up paying the additional costs.
A majority of those surveyed identified two types of information technology that could potentially improve their health care: Internet-enabled remote monitoring and personalized health management through e-mail or telephone reminders. For more information, visit the First Health web site at www.firsthealth.com.
Despite embracing technology in many aspects of their everyday lives, people are conflicted about the impact of information technology on their health care, according to a new survey.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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