Health information technology and physician perceptions of quality of care and satisfaction.
OBJECTIVE
To examine across seven countries the relationship between physician office information system capacity and the quality of care.


METHODS
Multivariate analysis of a cross-sectional 2006 random survey of primary care physicians in seven countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and United States.


METHODS
coordination and safety of care, care for chronically ill patients, and satisfaction with practice of medicine.


RESULTS
The study finds significant disparities in the quality of health care between practices with low information system capacity and those with high technical capacity after controlling for within country differences and practice size. There were significant physician satisfaction differences with the overall experience of practicing medicine by information system level.


CONCLUSIONS
For policy leaders, the seven-nation survey suggests that health systems that promote information system infrastructure are better able to address coordination and safety issues, particularly for patients with multiple chronic conditions, as well as to maintain primary care physician workforce satisfaction.
Davis
Karen
K
The Commonwealth Fund, One East 75th Street, New York, NY 10021, United States. kd@cmwf.org
Doty
Michelle McEvoy
MM
Shea
Katherine
K
Stremikis
Kristof
K
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008491:Medical Informatics Applications; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011787:Quality of Health Care