Patient perceptions of electronic health records on the patient-provider relationship: Good, bad or indifferent?

(1) Background. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) commissioned a study to better understand the likely role that the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act may play in fostering patient-centered medical care. The goal is to fill the evidence gap about patient preferences regarding use of health information technology during interactions with health care providers. (2) Objective/purpose. By the end of the session, the participant will understand how patient satisfaction with their care, coordination of care, and communication with their provider differs by the practice's stage of EHR adoption. The participant will understand how the practice's length of time since EHR adoption affects patient satisfaction with care. The participant will also learn why and how EHRs affect patient satisfaction with care. (3) Methods. We are collecting surveys from approximately 800 patients in primary care practices in four locations across the country. We will analyze the data to look at differences in patient satisfaction, coordination of care, and provider-patient communication by practices' level of EHR adoption. (4) Results. The survey data are currently being collected and will be completed this spring. We will present descriptive results from the survey comparing patient satisfaction with care, coordination of care and communication with their provider by practice stage of EHR adoption (early, recent and non-adopter). (5) Discussion/conclusions. Results from the survey will help identify positive or negative effects of health IT on the provider-patient relationship by describing patient preferences and perceptions of delivery of health care services by providers who have or have not adopted EHR systems in their practices.