Half of Canada Consumers Willing to Switch Physicians to Gain Online Access to Electronic Medical Records, According to Accenture Survey

Majority have taken ownership of records by self-tracking personal health information

TORONTO, Oct. 1, 2013 /CNW/ - Supporting the growing trend toward patient engagement, a recent Accenture (NYSE:ACN) survey found that nearly half of Canadian consumers (50 per cent) are willing to switch doctors to gain online access to electronic medical records (EMR). The survey, of more than 9,000 consumers in nine countries (1,000 in Canada), shows that only 16 per cent of Canadian consumers currently have full access to their EMR, but 52 per cent have taken ownership of their record by self-tracking their personal health information, such as health history and physical activity.

"The growing trend of self-care among consumers is shifting the role of an EMR from a mere clinical repository to a platform for shared decision-making among patients and doctors," said Sanjay Cherian, Accenture's health industry lead in Canada. "Just as patients can self-manage most other aspects of their lives, they expect to take ownership of their medical care and the survey shows they are willing to change doctors that share and enable the same values."

The majority of Canadian consumers (76 per cent) surveyed believe they should have full online access to their patient record, while nearly a third of doctors (29 per cent) share this belief. In contrast, one-third of Canadian consumers (32 per cent) reported that they have access to their EMR.

"When patients are part of the record-keeping process, it can increase their understanding of conditions and serve as a clear differentiator for clinical care," added Cherian.

Methodology
Accenture conducted an online survey of 9,015 adults (1,000 in Canada) ages 18+ to assess patient perceptions of their medical providers' electronic capabilities across nine countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, France, Germany, Singapore, Spain and the United States. Where relevant, the survey compares select findings from the Accenture Doctors Survey to compare the doctor and patient responses. The survey was fielded by Harris Interactive in July 2013

Learn more about Accenture's Insight Driven Health, Accenture Connected Health Services and Delivering Public Service for the Future.

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 275,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.  Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments.  The company generated net revenues of US$28.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2013.  Its home page is www.accenture.com.

Image with caption: "Level of Patient Access to Canada Electronic Medical Records (CNW Group/Accenture)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131001_C6002_PHOTO_EN_31533.jpg

SOURCE: Accenture

Theresa Ebden
Accenture (Canada)
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Jenn Francis
Accenture Health & Public Service (U.S.)
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