Ninety-two percent of health care IT professionals said they believe that patients should own the information stored in personal health records, while 4% said that providers should own the data. Thirty percent of respondents said they access a PHR.

Every general practitioner in Hungary uses a computer, but just 57% of general practitioners in Lithuania report using a computer. Overall, 87% of general practitioners in Europe use a computer in their physician office.

A new survey found that 51% of U.S. commercially insured, non-elderly consumers who have visited their health plan's Web site in the last year have used an online physician or facility finder tool. Of those respondents, 64% said the tools are easy to use, and 55% said the tools made selecting a physician or facility less difficult.

Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents said reducing the risk of medication errors is the biggest benefit to providers who use electronic prescribing. Half of respondents said not needing to mail, fax or drop off prescriptions at the pharmacy is the biggest benefit to consumers.

Eighty-two percent of ambulatory surgery center administrators said their facilities do not use an electronic health record system. Survey respondents cited several obstacles, including a lack of capital investment and lack of personnel to implement the technology.

Most older adults report that they would use personal health and wellness devices if they were available. Eighty-four percent of older adults said the devices would make them feel safer, but about 80% said they were concerned about cost.

The percentage of adults who said it was fair for health plans to use electronic health records and other information tools to measure and compare quality of care increased from 47% in 2006 to 58% in 2008. Respondents also expressed interest in online physician rating tools.

The majority of college students surveyed said they would back the use of online personal health records, citing convenience and easier access. Those who did not like the idea of PHRs cited privacy and security concerns.

One out of 10 survey respondents said that they do not believe their health plan fully protects the privacy of their personal data; 26% of respondents were neutral on the issue. Privacy concerns affect the willingness of 28% of respondents to create a profile on their health plan's Web site, while 27% said privacy concerns affect their willingness to participate in a blog or online health care community on their health plan's Web site.

More than 90% of survey respondents said their organization believes IT is an integral component in improving patient care, but 41% reported concerns about cost and reliability. Six percent of respondents said their organization was undecided on the value of IT, and 2% said their organization believes that IT has no impact on patient care.

Just 6% of survey respondents said they have accessed their medical records and test results online, but 78% said they are interested in going online to access their health information. More than a quarter of respondents said they would pay extra for the service.

Of the 24% of insured consumers who have used online health resources, health wikis, and online health discussion boards and forums are the most popular, according to a survey. Just 3% of insured consumers who have used online health resources reported listening to a podcast on a health topic.

Seventy-six percent of health IT professionals responding to a survey said that improvements in health care quality would the biggest benefit of clinicians using IT, while 16% said the biggest benefit would be improved staff efficiency.

The Internet is second only to medical professionals when it comes to women's preferred source of health care information. Eighty-five percent of women who use the Internet reported researching women's health issues online.

Individuals with chronic diseases would benefit the most from online access to health information, according to a survey of health IT professionals. Respondents also said that improved care quality would be the biggest consumer benefit from expanding access to online health information.