Many physicians have expressed frustration that technology detracts from their face time with patients, and patients have expressed higher satisfaction when physicians devote more time to interacting with them directly.
A survey of 3,000 patients from the U.S., U.K. and Germany conducted by the Burlington, Mass.-based software company Nuance found that although 97 percent of patients are comfortable with technology in healthcare, 68 percent of respondents in the U.S. and U.K. expected eye contact and a handshake. Subjects in Germany felt privacy was the most important, followed by eye contact and a handshake.
Many physicians feel rushed with the demands of technology while they are seeing patients. A 2013 RAND Corporation survey found 43 percent of physicians felt that EHRs slowed them down and 36 percent reported EHRs interfere with face-to-face care. The feeling of frustration also applies to patients — the Nuance survey found that 40 percent of patients said they felt rushed during the actual visit. The average patient interaction lasted 12 minutes, according to the survey.
However, the majority of the respondents said they were comfortable with technology being used in healthcare and it improved their healthcare experience. Approximately 80 percent of patients said they thought they were engaged with their care, bringing in prepared questions to office visits and monitoring their health with tools at home.
"While technology is a key component in the healthcare ecosystem, it should only play a supporting role," the report's authors wrote. "Patients need to be center stage."