Patients Want Control of e-Records

The ease with which electronic health records will allow providers to share personal patient information -- a big selling point for implementing EHRs -- has Americans uneasy, according to a recent survey commissioned by a patient privacy advocacy group.

Results of the online survey, conducted this summer by Zogby International for the watchdog organization Patient Privacy Rights, were overwhelming: 97 percent of the 2,000 respondents said their consent should be required before doctors, hospitals, labs and health technology systems share their information with any party, including insurance companies. In addition, 98 percent said insurers should not be able to sell or share their information without consent.

The findings suggest that widespread implementation of EHRs that is already under way could result in major privacy battles. They also raise questions about how easily health organizations will be able to share information critical to patient care if legal issues about privacy are raised.

"No matter how you look at it, Americans want to control their own private health information," said Dr. Deborah Peel, founder of Patient Privacy Rights, in a news release.

The Austin, Texas-based organization advocates for a "Do Not Disclose" list similar to the national "Do Not Call" list. Any company wanting to share patient health information with a third party would have to request permission from the patient and explain their intention for using it. Patients could set up consent directives on a website and receive notification for any information request not covered by the directive.

The vast majority of adults surveyed, 93 percent, also were nervous about the government's having access to their health records. Only 5 percent said the government should be able to set laws and regulations governing whether corporations and researchers have access to their records without their permission.

The interactive Zogby survey was conducted in late August. It has a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points.