Physician Practice Fact Sheet _1_19_2011

	DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES	Office of the Secretary
		Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Washington, D.C. 20201

Patient Perceptions of Health Care in Primary Care Practices

With and Without Electronic Health Records

Study Fact Sheet for Medical Practices

WHAT IS THE STUDY ABOUT?

This study will gather patients’ experiences and perceptions of the delivery of health care services by providers who have not adopted health information technology (health IT), those that have adopted health IT, and those that are in varying stages of adopting and using electronic health records (EHRs) in their practice.

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE STUDY?

The goal of the study is to better understand the likely role that the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act may play in fostering patient-centered medical care for all Americans. The goal is to understand patient perceptions about the effects of health IT on their care.

WHO IS SPONSORING THE STUDY?

The study is being sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). ONC is the principal Federal entity charged with coordination of nationwide efforts to implement and use the most advanced health information technology and the electronic exchange of health information.

WHO IS CONDUCTING THE STUDY?

Mathematica Policy Research, (www.mathematica-mpr.com), an independent research company, is conducting the study on behalf of ONC. Mathematica is a leader in the health policy research field and has been conducting surveys and evaluations for more than 40 years.

HOW WAS MY PRACTICE CHOSEN TO BE IN THE STUDY?

Primary care practices were randomly selected in multiple states that have higher rates of EHR adoption than most other states.

WILL INFORMATION ABOUT MY PRACTICE AND MY PATIENTS BE KEPT PRIVATE?

Yes. All of the information we collect for the study will be kept private to the extent to which law allows and used for research purposes only. The information will be used solely for the purposes of this study and will not be shared outside the research team. Neither the practice name nor any individual patient information will be reported. Only aggregated information will be presented in any reports.

HOW LONG WILL THE STUDY RUN?

The study began in October 2009 and will end in September 2011. The data collection will take place between November 2010 and March 2011.

WHAT DOES PARTICIPATION INVOLVE FOR MY PRACTICE?

Participation involves allowing a Mathematica data collector to come to your practice for a day or two to talk with the patients in your waiting room in order to explain the study, inviting them to participate in either the survey or the discussion group. Participating practices have no other requirements, other than to allow the data collector to talk with their patients while in the waiting room. Practices that participate in the study will receive $100.

WHAT DOES PARTICIPATION INVOLVE FOR MY PATIENTS?

The Mathematica data collector will talk with patients in the waiting room, one at a time, to introduce the study and to invite them to participate in either the survey or the discussion group. The data collector will give them a letter and a fact sheet, similar to this one, to read before deciding. Participation in the survey and discussion group is entirely voluntary, and patients may refuse to participate. Patients who agree to participate in the survey will be asked to fill out a 15-minute questionnaire after they have finished seeing their provider. Patients will not be asked for their name, contact information, or any other personal information as part of the in-office survey. Patients who complete a survey will receive a $10 gift card.

Patients who agree to participate in the discussion group will be asked to provide three pieces of demographic information and to write down their name and contact information (telephone number, home address, and/or email address) so that we can notify them about when and where the discussion group will be held. Patients who participate in the 90-minute discussion group will receive a $40 gift card.

Patients who do not want to participate in the study will be thanked for their time and consideration.

WHAT KINDS OF QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED IN THE SURVEY AND DISCUSSION GROUP?

The survey and discussion group will gather information about patients’ experiences with and perceptions about their health care and the use of health information technology (health IT). Survey topics include patient’s health status, satisfaction with health care, perceptions of health IT, communication with provider, coordination of care across providers, and demographic information (such as gender, age, and education). (The survey does not identify specific providers in your practice).

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE PATIENTS TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY?

The questionnaire was designed to take 15 minutes to complete.

WHO CAN I CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION?

For more information about this study, please contact: Kate Tipping at ONC, 202-260-0052 or katetipping@hhs.gov, or Karen Bogen, the Mathematica Survey Director, toll free at 1-877-863-6139, or kbogen@mathematica-mpr.com.