Americans don’t agree on much these days in our 50/50 world. But there’s one area of universal agreement among citizens: changing the health system.

Rich, lower income, New Englanders, Southerners, Dems and Republicans — all want change when it comes to health care.

According to the latest Commonwealth Fund survey, Public Views on U.S. Health System Organization: A Call for New Directions, 8 in 10 Americans believe the U.S. health system needs “fundamental change” or “complete rebuilding.”

As people have adopted information technologies in their daily lives in the form of wireless phones, broadband, and “project managing” life tools online (e.g., Travelocity and Expedia for travel, online banking, web-based photo processing and scrapbooking), so, too, do they want IT-enabled health care:

  • 86% favor doctors’ use of electronic medical records
  • 89% value physicians’ electronic access to test results
  • 71% believe in ePrescribing.

With IT-enabled health care comes the ability to be transparent. Virtually all Americans (95%) want information about the quality of care provided by different providers, and 88% say it’s important to know about quality of care by provider.

Health Populi’s Hot Points: The bulk of Americans, 8 in 10, don’t believe that tinkering at the edges of our health system will solve our problems of cost, quality, and access. Instead, major changes are required, according to the American people. This holds true whether people are insured or uninsured. In this round of polling, even the majority of insured Americans want change.

Americans are looking to be at the center of the health system, with coordination among providers and information flows that enable quality care.

These numbers demonstrate there is broad-based consensus for change among The People.