Survey: California Leads Country in Adoption of Personal Health Records
Although the number of U.S. residents using personal health records has more than doubled since 2008, usage rates remain relatively low at 7%, according to a survey released Tuesday by the California HealthCare Foundation, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. CHCF is the publisher of California Healthline.
Lake Research Partners conducted the survey of about 1,850 U.S. residents in December and January.
California Findings
The survey found that California leads the country in PHR adoption with a usage rate of 15%. Overall, people who lived in western states were more likely to report using PHR tools.
California's PHR adoption rates could be partially attributed to the high percentage of residents who are members of Kaiser Permanente, which offers patient Web portals and other consumer health tools (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/13).
Other PHR Usage Findings
When asked about the most useful elements of PHRs, researchers found that:
- 64% of respondents said they appreciate the ability to check whether their health data is correct;
- 57% said they like using PHRs to look at test results; and
- 50% said they value the ability to contact their health care providers.
Characteristics of PHR Users
The survey found that younger, highly educated individuals with higher incomes are more likely to use PHRs.
However, researchers noted that low-income people with less education and multiple chronic conditions are likely to reap greater benefits from the technology (Mearian, ComputerWorld, 4/13).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.