Nearly Half of Voters Want Cuts in Health IT Investments, Survey Indicates

According to a recent survey from the New York-based PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute, 42 percent of voters want cuts in health IT. The survey, which was based on the thoughts of 1,202 consumer son their post-election thoughts on healthcare, found that 69 percent of respondents said President Barack Obama has to rein in healthcare costs.

Fifty percent of the respondents said one way to rein in healthcare costs is to reduce payments to doctors and hospitals. Cut-backs in health IT investments was next at 42 percent. Thirty-one percent of respondents said there should be reduced spending on public health and prevention.

The report’s authors say the results of the survey show there is a gap in public attitudes and the agenda in Washington. The government, the report notes, has invested approximately $28 billion in health IT and while many people in the industry say it will lower costs, a chunk of the population doesn’t seem to agree. The report’s authors say the government needs to do a better job in communicating the potential long-term benefits of health IT.