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News release: NationalMay 2, 2007
For more information, contact: Gillian Parrish at 202 336-7963 or 202 744-8965 Susan Dentzer, Dr. Carolyn Clancy and Other Notables Meet to Translate the Value of Health IT for Consumers DC summit explores the benefits and challenges of electronic medical records Washington, D.C., May 2, 2007 — Over 100 health care advocates, providers, policymakers and purchasers came together today in Washington, D.C., to discuss the benefits and challenges of widespread proliferation of electronic medical records at Health IT: Unlocking the Potential, a summit hosted by Kaiser Permanente. "Health care needs an industrial revolution," said George Halvorson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kaiser Permanente. "Computerizing patient medical records has the potential to speed up the delivery and improve the quality of care, lower costs and reduce routine errors that are blamed for 98,000 deaths a year in the U.S. However, these benefits have not been compellingly conveyed to those who can benefit the most — the patients themselves." A new national survey about Americans' awareness of, and acceptance towards, health information technology which was released at the summit found that consumers are ready to go digital with their health care. The survey, conducted by StrategyOne, an independent public opinion research company, on behalf of Kaiser Permanente found that American adults overwhelmingly believe (at 72%) that a computer system is more efficient than a paper system when it comes to managing medical records. And while there is still some ambiguity and confusion about the relative security of electronic medical records compared to paper records — 47% percent of Americans say paper is more secure, compared to 42% who believe electronic records are more secure — nearly three in four Americans believe the benefits of electronic records, such as better care in emergencies, outweigh any potential risks. In her keynote address, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, spoke about the role of health IT in national efforts to improve the overall health care system and the importance of patient education and access in ensuring successful proliferation of this technology. "Access and control must be built in from the beginning," said Dr. Clancy. "Patients need to know how the system will benefit them and what measures are being taken to ensure the privacy and security of their personal health information." The summit also featured a series of panel discussions on "translating" the benefits of electronic records for patients and purchasers in a relatable way, assessing the impact of this technology on the public health infrastructure, and addressing privacy and security concerns. F. William "Bill" Conner, Chairman, President and CEO of Entrust, a world leader in securing digital identities and information, presented on the successes and lessons learned by the financial services industry during their transition from paper to electronic records. "Health care legislation and regulation focus on many privacy concerns without providing guidance on minimum acceptable levels of security," said Bill Conner. "Because patients are becoming more discriminate with their health care choices, organizations need to understand that both policy combined with adequate security is the key to unlock the benefits of a trusted ecosystem and an organization's brand." Additional speakers included Myrl Weinberg, President of the National Health Council; Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans; Dr. Cary Sennett, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Communications at the American Board of Internal Medicine; Kelly Cronin, Director, Office of Programs and Coordination, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; Nancy Davenport-Ennis, CEO and President, National Patient Advocate Foundation and Lygeia Ricciardi, Special Advisor, Health Privacy Project, among others. Following the panel discussions, Kaiser provided an interactive demonstration of its electronic medical records system, KP HealthConnect™. KP HealthConnect is the largest civilian electronic health record in the world, securely connecting 8.7 million people to their health care teams, their personal health information, and the latest medical knowledge. About Kaiser PermanenteKaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit; group practice program headquartered in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente serves more than 8.7 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Today it encompasses the not-for-profit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 156,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and 13,000 physicians representing all specialties. About The SurveyThis survey was conducted by StrategyOne, an independent public opinion research company, on behalf of Kaiser Permanente. Data were collected via telephone among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 American adults, 18 years of age and older, using a random digit dialing (RDD) methodology. The overall margin of error for this survey is ± 3.1% at the 95% confidence interval. For a complete overview of survey findings, visit http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter.
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