Surescripts Physician Survey Shows Persistent Need for More Interoperable Access to Patient Data

Medication Adherence, Clinical History and Prescription Price Transparency Are High Priorities

Half of physicians feel that their access to patient data could be much better, according to the new Surescripts report Physician Perspectives on Access to Patient Data. This and other key findings point to improvements that are still needed and the types of information that are top priorities for physicians. 
“Our interoperable network plays a critical role in giving healthcare providers access to actionable patient intelligence within their EHR,” said Tom Skelton, Chief Executive Officer of Surescripts. “Research like the physician survey helps us better understand what information they need the most so that we can focus our work accordingly.”

The key findings among physician perspectives on the value of and access to medication adherence, clinical history and prescription price transparency information include:

• Eighty-three percent of physicians see medication adherence information as a priority, yet only 17 percent can easily retrieve it electronically. (chart 1)
• Medication adherence information is the least trusted type of information among physicians.
• Fifty-six percent of physicians see prescription price information as a priority, but only 11 percent can easily access it electronically.
• More than just a nice to have, physicians believe prescription price should impact prescribing decisions, and 59 percent want to be able to compare the price of therapeutic alternatives. (chart 2)
• Eighty-eight percent of physicians see patient clinical history as a priority, but just 30 percent have easy access to it electronically—a factor that impedes care coordination. (chart 3)

“Addressing physicians’ information needs and challenges is critical in an increasingly value-driven industry,” said Dana Benini, Vice President of Healthcare Practice at ORC International. “The Surescripts survey is an important inside look at physicians’ real-world information access and interoperability challenges and the opportunities to solve them.”

The 15-minute web-based survey was administered by ORC International to 300 qualifying primary care physicians between October 5 and October 17, 2017. To qualify for the survey, physicians had to have been in practice for at least five years, spend at least 50 percent of their time providing direct patient care for at least 100 patients a year and use an EHR.

Download the report Physician Perspectives on Access to Patient Data to see more about U.S. physicians’ perspectives on their need for and access to patient data. Visit Surescripts.com to learn more about Surescripts solutions that enhance e-prescribing and inform care decisions by delivering historical patient information, medication adherence data, prescription price transparency and the ability to securely communicate with other care providers within the EHR at the point of care. 

 

Chart 1

Chart 2 
 

Chart 3