Originally published October 12 2005
Nationwide health information network may be the next step for U.S. healthcare
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A recent survey by the Markle Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based foundation, found that 70 percent of Americans were in favor of a national information network that would facilitate greater information exchange between doctors, patients and medical institutions.
More than 70 percent of Americans are in support of a nationwide health-information exchange or network for doctors and patients, according to a recent survey by the Markle Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based foundation that encourages the use of technology in the areas of health care and national security.
"Our use of information technology to improve consumer access to health information and make it available to doctors has lagged mainstream consumer IT use," says Zoe Baird, president of the Markle Foundation.
"Consumers now believe that health IT can make their own medical information more useful for them and those helping with their health care."
The survey also found that 80 percent of respondents think if physicians kept electronic medical records on patients, then health-care quality would improve and medical errors would be reduced.
In addition, more than 80 percent of respondents think researchers' ability to review millions of records anonymously to help determine best treatment practices would help improve the quality of medical care.
In conjunction with the recent survey results, the Markle Foundation also released seven consumer and patient principles around protecting privacy and ensuring personal health information is used appropriately.
"This broad group feels that these principles should be used to guide further development of a health-information network," says David Lansky, senior director of the health program at the Markle Foundation.
"Making sure the network is trusted by the public is the first step in encouraging consumers to participate more fully in their own care."
# Independent bodies, accountable to the public, should oversee local and nationwide electronic health-data exchanges as no single stakeholder group should dominate the oversight bodies, and consumer representatives selected by their peers should participate as full voting members.
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