Poll shows EHR pros, cons.

• Position: HEALTH RECORDS

An April poll conducted by National Public Radio, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health revealed the public does not seem to be as optimistic about electronic health records (EHRs) as lawmakers.

EHRs are central to President Barack Obama's plans to reform the U.S. healthcare system. Obama wants an EHR system to connect doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers so they can seamlessly share patient records online.

And, according to the poll, most Americans agree that digital medical records would be beneficial to patients. For example, 72% polled said computerized records would help their own doctors do a better job of coordinating their care. Sixty-seven percent said EHRs would improve the overall quality of health care in the United States, and 53% said digitizing records would reduce medical errors. However, individuals polled also saw a few potential downsides to EHRs: higher costs and less privacy.

Of the respondents, 34% said they think EHRs will result in higher healthcare costs, while 22% said they believe costs will decrease.

Privacy was also a concern among respondents. The poll shows Americans doubt such records would remain confidential. Seventy-six percent said it's "somewhat" or "very likely" an unauthorized person would get access to EHRs.

Despite those concerns, 75% of individuals polled said it was at least somewhat important for healthcare providers to use electronic, rather than paper, records.

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Perceived Effects of Computerizing Medical Records

If the United States adopted a system in which...