Healthcare consumers want to be involved in the development of health information technology, especially as it relates to medical record privacy and security, according to research conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
In a new white paper released by AHRQ, “Consumer Engagement in Developing Electronic Health Information Systems,” researchers explained the results of 20 focus groups with consumers who assessed their awareness of health IT. Most participants were concerned about electronic record security and believed consumers should retain control over medical information, according to the paper. The responses about government, insurer and provider access to electronic information suggests there should be more effort made to educate the public about health IT and its uses, AHRQ said.
"Public opinion will provide one important measure of the effects of the expansion of health IT adoption and use," the researchers wrote in the paper.
The paper was released through the agency's National Resource Center for Health Information Technology and prepared by Westat under contract with AHRQ.
