Electronic health records: safety, efficiency and privacy

Business Week is carrying an article on the movement toward electronic health records in the United States, including a discussion of some of the privacy issues raised by them.

Between You, The Doctor, And The PC:

"...

HOW PRIVATE?

A move to electronic records could make a patient's medical files accessible anywhere in the world. Proponents point to reduced costs and increased patient safety. Meanwhile, privacy advocates raise questions about security. Of major concern is that there not be a central, national repository of patient information, but rather a network of records maintained by individual providers and health systems. 'I don't think a national database would fly in this country,' says Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit that focuses on such issues. She says such a system would be vulnerable to insider abuse and could become a target for hackers."

Thanks to PrivacySpot for the link: BusinessWeek Examines Issue of Online Medical Records | PrivacySpot.com - Privacy Law and Data Protection