Some Bad News for E-Health Records

A study released today concludes that Americans still are not fully supportive of electronic health records, although the press release headline reads, "Electronic Medical Records Viewed Favorably." According to the study, conducted by Morpace, 48 percent of those surveyed support the creation of a national electronic health record system, while 23 percent do not. The remainder, 29 percent were undecided. The primary concern, according to the study, were "significant privacy concerns about a national medical record system. Fear of identity theft tops the list, along with unauthorized access to an individual's medical information by marketing firms, employers and even health insurance companies."

It's been four years since President Bush issued an executive order calling for a nationwide system of electronic medical records, but the study's authors found many survey participants were unaware of the system.