Study: Doctors fear how gov't will use EMRs

A new study has found that doctors are resistant to installing EMRs not only due to their financial and workflow impact, but also because they fear government will use the data to impose controls on their daily practice. The study, released by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, reached 400 doctors, and was designed to capture a portrait of their attitudes about HIT adoption.

According to the AAPS, 81 percent of respondents said their practice didn't use EMRs, and many respondents said that they'd rather retire in their 50s than adopt EMRs. When asked why they were not adopting EMR technology, fear of interference from government was one of the top reasons they gave, along with privacy concerns, worries about return on investment, lack of capital to acquire HIT and preference for using hand-written notes.

To learn more about the study:
- read this Healthcare IT News piece

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