Survey says: Americans in favor of e-prescribing, overhauling health care

CHICAGO A survey released Thursday indicates that 82 percent of Americans think the health-care system in the United States needs to be either changed or overhauled, according to reports.

The Commonwealth Fund, which conducted the survey, looked at a random sampling of 1,004 American adults in May. Of the respondents, 32 percent said the system needed an overhaul, while 50 percent said it needed change.

Twenty-eight percent of respondents also reported that administrative hassles over insurance and bills as serious problems.

The survey also showed that 86 percent of respondents think doctors should transition to electronic health-care records, while 89 percent said doctors should be able to access test results electronically. Seventy-one percent support electronic prescriptions.

Thirty-two percent of respondents reported duplicative or unnecessary care.

Meanwhile, 44 percent expressed a desire to access their health records online, while 48 percent said they would communicate with their doctors by email and schedule appointments online.

About 47 million Americans lack health insurance. Electronic records are the norm in many countries, but have yet to catch on in the U.S.