Survey Finds Patients Not Worried About Sharing Health Data
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
While more than two-thirds of patients are willing to share data, some show concern over privacy issues.
In a recent NPR-Truven Health Analytics Poll, conducted in August and released this month, results demonstrated that, in general, worries about personal health records are not that great, according to an NPR blog post. The survey asked respondents to share their views about electronic medical records and any related privacy concerns.
Among the findings, nearly three-quarters said they use physicians that use electronic medical records. Yet only 11 percent reported feeling any concerns over data privacy in regard to their physicians. When asked about privacy concerns related to hospitals, the number rose slightly to 14 percent and, among health insurers was the highest level, coming in at 16 percent. The lowest level of concern was with employers, at only 10 percent.
Dr. Michael Taylor, chief medical officer for Truven Health Analytics, explained, “Maybe the fact that employers have had this type of de-identified information for so many years, employees are finally getting used to it. Personally, I think it’s good.”
The poll also found 68 percent of respondents were willing to anonymously share information with researchers, a rate that increased with higher education and income levels. And 22 percent were willing to share credit card purchase and social media information with healthcare providers to improve their overall health.
According to research done by the Ponemon Institute, roughly 1.8 million American households experienced medical record theft in 2013. When asked whether they had experienced a breach of their health data, only 5 percent indicated they have been notified of unauthorized access to their information, with the highest rate among respondents with an income over $100,000.
Of those whose records had been accessed without their permission, 37 percent reported that it was between 12 and 24 months previously; 15 percent in the past 12 months; 27 percent reporting 2-5 years previously; and 21 percent occurring over 5 years ago. And ultimately, 44 percent of those polled reported that they have looked through the health information kept by their physician, with the rate increasing with increasing levels of education.
“An overwhelming number of patients have had experiences with EMRs, which seems to point towards a concerted effort among healthcare providers to share information as a means to faster, more accurate care,” Technology Century quoted Taylor as saying. “While privacy concerns have been an issue in the past, as EMRs continue to become more prevalent, it appears that Americans are becoming increasingly comfortable sharing this type of information with employers, providers and health plans.”