SAN MATEO, CALIF., July 11, 2007
Future Physicians Call for Healthcare Reform and Technology Adoption
Medical Students' Opinions on Top Health Issues Revealed in Second Annual Survey
Healthcare reform and providing care for uninsured patients are the leading concerns of medical students across the nation. Students also report extensive experience with healthcare technology and believe it will have the greatest impact on improving patient care. Results of the second annual Future Physicians of America survey released today, which was conducted by Epocrates, Inc., and Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc., captures the opinions of 1,000 medical students.
These future physicians are ready to see change in the U.S. healthcare system, from insurance coverage to technology use, as suggested by the following key survey findings:
- Growing concern over the uninsured population – Medical students believe the growing uninsured patient population is the primary challenge facing the country’s healthcare system. This issue became the top concern after placing third in last year’s survey. More than 50 percent of respondents believe individuals, employers and the government share equal responsibility for caring for uninsured patients.
- Healthcare predictions for Election 2008 – More than 70 percent of medical students report that healthcare reform will be an important topic in the upcoming presidential race, and three out of four will likely vote based on a candidate’s position on the topic. Comparably, 80 percent of physicians and other healthcare professionals believe healthcare reform will be a central topic in the election.1
- Technology ranked as a top priority – Medical students feel technology helps them practice better medicine today, and will be a vital factor in their future practice choices. In fact, 44 percent of medical students strongly feel that the use of clinical reference information on their mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants or smartphones, gives them an advantage over their classmates. Furthermore, the majority said the availability of a robust health information technology infrastructure will be an important factor when choosing their residency program and ultimately where they practice after training.
- EMRs are gaining traction – Nearly 90 percent of respondents report using electronic medical records (EMRs) and the majority believes EMRs can enhance the quality of patient care. Consistent with last year’s respondents, 70 percent of students anticipate EMRs will be fully implemented within five to 10 years – approximately the same time they will be practicing physicians and decision makers. In fact, more than 60 percent predict younger physicians will be the main drivers in universal EMR adoption
This is the second year of the Future Physicians of America survey, which is conducted on an annual basis and is the largest of its kind. Survey participants are opted-in to participate in market research surveys through the Epocrates Honors Panel.
Editor’s note: Visit http://www.epocrates.com/insights/ for comprehensive survey results. Commentaries from practicing clinicians about students’ views on the future of medicine and a podcast with two medical students discussing key survey topics are also available.
About Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.
Gerson Lehrman Group provides systems to manage expert networks. Its services and web-based software help the world's leading financial services firms, professional service firms, corporations and nonprofits find, engage, and manage their proprietary expert networks, by tapping the global associations of the GLG CouncilsSM. More than 150,000 subject-matter experts of the GLG Councils deepen clients’ understanding of critical issues through a wide range of consulting methods, including telephone consultations, expert surveys and seminars. For more information about Gerson Lehrman Group, please visit www.glgroup.com.
1 Epocrates newsletter poll (June 2007); 1,604 responses
CONTACT: Erica Sniad Morgenstern Epocrates Public Relations PHONE: (650) 227-6907 E-MAIL: pr@epocrates.com WEB: www.epocrates.com