Privacy measures key to PHR acceptance

Americans like the idea of electronic health records. They are worried, however, about the privacy implications of the technology, especially when it comes to employers and insurance companies. Those are two conclusions highlighted by a recent study funded by the Markle Foundation and conducted by polling group Public Opinion Strategies, which found that more than 60 percent favored personal health records. The group says emphasis must be placed on ensuring consumer confidence in privacy rules and security rules if efforts to create a national health infrastructure are to succeed. Key findings: consumers want control over who gets to see their records and they want access tightly tracked. They also do not want their records shared with employers.

The survey, and a second similar study conducted by Manhattan Research, were released to coincide with a conference on personal health records held in Washington, DC, yesterday. Manhattan's data showed considerably fewer people demanding personal health records but had not released its exact questions as of this morning.

- see this article from Government Health IT
- see this press release from the Markle Foundation
- see this press release from Manhattan