Thursday, November 17, 2005

California Uber Alles

Lisa Woodley, CMT, alerted me to this piece from the California Healthcare Foundation:

Conducted by Forrester Research, the survey reveals that—despite federal protections under HIPAA—two in three Americans are concerned about the confidentiality of their personal health information and are largely unaware of their privacy rights.
In addition, one in eight patients reportedly engages in behavior to protect personal privacy, presenting a potential risk to their health. More than half (52 percent) of respondents are concerned that employers may use health information to limit job opportunities, highlighting the implications of the privacy issue.
Yet despite these concerns, consumers report a favorable view of new health technology, with a majority (59 percent) willing to share personal health information when it could result in better medical treatment.

There are some pretty interesting conclusions here. Seems like we should be educating our patients, as well as our staff.

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