A new survey by SureScripts and ORC International indicated that 50% of American physicians believe that their access to patient data isn’t sufficient to improve health outcomes. Lack of information about patients’ medication adherence, prescription costs and clinical history were cited as some of doctors’ most pressing concerns.

Respondents particularly hammered on their need to understand their patients’ prescription costs; unaffordable out-of-pocket medication cost is one of the strongest social determinants of health (SDOH) and one that presents a significant barrier to medication compliance.

Although the survey included only doctors who use EHRs on the ward, only 17% of those physicians said they were “extremely satisfied” with their level of access to their patients’ health information, indicating that there is significant room for improvement.

Learn more about the survey’s results here, from Health IT Analytics‘ Jessica Kent.