According to a survey released on July 20, 2005 by Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, a majority of U.S. consumers believe that electronic medical records can provide valuable benefits, especially during medical emergencies, and can improve overall medical care.
The survey, which queried more than 500 U.S. health care consumers, found that the overwhelming majority of respondents believe that electronic medical records can:
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improve the quality of care (93 percent of respondents),
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reduce the number of treatment errors in hospitals (92 percent of respondents),
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lower health care costs overall (75 percent of respondents), and
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reduce the amount of time patients spend waiting in doctors’ offices and emergency rooms (78 percent of respondents).
HSS Secretary Tommy Thompson estimated that adoption of EHR systems nationally could save 10% of the nation's current annual $1.7 trillion health care bill. He also said that EHRs would improve privacy, better protect medical records and decrease medical errors while reducing administrative costs.
Dr. Brent James, vice president for research at Intermountain Health Care in Salt Lake City, said he believes that savings from streamlining the health care system with EHR could eventually amount to $400 billion per year.
Other benefits cited by physicians and allied health users from their systems include:
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improves documentation quality (legible, organized, complete)
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facilitates better patient communication
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provides built-in protocols and reminders
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improves medication management
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enhances efficiency of signing charts
The productivity and efficiency gains of an electronic medical record (EMR) translate into real dollars. Some of the cost benefits:
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reduces transcription costs
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lowers labor costs
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reduces copying expenses
Reference Documents
 A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Electronic Medical Records in Primary Care
Can Electronic Medical Record Systems Transform Health Care? Potential Health Benefits, Savings & Costs
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