Patients at Primary Care Practices

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Patient Perceptions of Health Care in Primary Care Practices

With and Without Electronic Health Records

Study Fact Sheet for Patients Participating in the Survey

WHAT IS THE STUDY ABOUT?

This study will gather patients’ experiences with and opinions about health care services provided by primary care providers who may use an electronic health record (EHR). We are asking patients at practices that do and do not use EHRs to help us with the study.

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE STUDY?

The goal of the study is to better understand if the Health Information Technology Act improves patient-centered medical 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).

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 THIS MEDICAL PRACTICE CHOSEN TO BE IN THE STUDY?

Primary care practices were randomly selected in four states. This practice has agreed to let Mathematica speak to patients while they wait to see the doctor, to invite them to volunteer for the study.

WILL MY INFORMATION BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL?

Yes. All of the information we collect for the study will be kept confidential. 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. We will not ask for your name. Any reports will present only aggregated information, and we will not report any of your information to your doctor or the staff at this practice.

WHAT DOES PARTICIPATION INVOLVE?

The Mathematica data collector will talk with you in the waiting room to introduce this important study and invite you to participate in the survey. Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary, and you may decline to participate. If you agree to participate in the survey, you will be asked to fill out a 15-minute questionnaire after you have finished seeing your provider, and you will return the completed questionnaire to the data collector. Patients who complete a survey will receive a $10 gift card.

WHAT KINDS OF QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED IN THE SURVEY?

The survey gathers information about patients’ experiences with and perceptions about their health care and the use of health information technology (HIT). Survey topics include patient’s health status, satisfaction with health care, perceptions of HIT, communication with provider, coordination of care across providers, and demographic information (such as gender, age, and education).

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE 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 ask the Mathematica representative in the waiting area or contact Karen Bogen, Mathematica Survey Director, at 617-674-8355 or by email at [email protected].

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