Canadians want e-health systems: Deloitte survey
By Peter Wolchak
February 12, 2010
February 12, 2010
More than half of Canadians want to use online health systems that allow them to schedule office visits, access medical records, view test results, order prescription refills, find information about treatment options, and check the status of bills and payments, according to a recent Deloitte survey. The company said this is part of an overall trend in which Canadians increasingly want to be treated as consumers, rather than patients.
“This transition from a patient orientation to a consumer orientation will have far-reaching implications for all industry stakeholders and will place new demands on the health system and raise new challenges,” said Mark Fam, senior manager, Deloitte National Health Services. “Yet it also presents health care industry stakeholders with new opportunities to experiment, to innovate and to adapt to help Canadians improve both their health and wellness.”
Almost half of Canadians also want the ability to contact physicians via e-mail, and 40 per cent are interested in a nurse call line where they can seek advice about a health problem or help with decisions.
Other survey findings:
“This transition from a patient orientation to a consumer orientation will have far-reaching implications for all industry stakeholders and will place new demands on the health system and raise new challenges,” said Mark Fam, senior manager, Deloitte National Health Services. “Yet it also presents health care industry stakeholders with new opportunities to experiment, to innovate and to adapt to help Canadians improve both their health and wellness.”
Almost half of Canadians also want the ability to contact physicians via e-mail, and 40 per cent are interested in a nurse call line where they can seek advice about a health problem or help with decisions.
Other survey findings:
- 61 per cent want their physicians, hospitals and/or the government to provide them with a personal health record (PHR) or online medical records
- two-thirds would like to access a family member’s PHR
- 58 per cent want online tools to help them assess, monitor and manage their health (e.g., risk assessment questionnaires, health diaries, etc.)
- but privacy is still a concern, with 54 per cent worried about storage of online health information
The 2009 Canadian health care consumer survey is based on responses from 2,304 adults. The full results are at www.deloitte.com/ca/patientsasconsumers.
