At the Medco Health Solutions 2008 Drug Trend "Predictions" Symposium, Revolution Health CEO Steve Case predicted that consumers will overcome their concerns about the security of electronic health records, similar to how they overcame them with online financial transactions, Healthcare IT News reports.
Case, co-founder of America Online, compared skeptics of health IT with those who downplayed the development of the Internet in the 1980s. He said that once a secure, universal system is available, patients and payers will be drawn to the financial efficiencies and clinical benefits of health IT.
He added that patient control of electronic health information is critical to consumer confidence. According to Case, empowering and engaging consumers to take on a bigger role in managing their own health care is key to boosting technology adoption (Monegain, Healthcare IT News, 5/16).