Health Information Management

World Privacy Forum report warns against PHRs

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, February 25, 2008

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Personal health records (PHR) users beware. The World Privacy Forum released a report on February 20 regarding the privacy, or potential lack thereof, PHRs, particularly when managed by nonhealthcare companies, according to a February 20 article in The San Francisco Chronicle.

Most people who choose to store PHRs with companies not bound to privacy and security standards set by HIPAA must rely on corporate privacy policies and the company's good intentions, Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, told The Chronicle.

The report, titled "Personal Health Records: Why Many PHRs Threaten Privacy," reminds users to ask several questions before storing their medical information with a third party. Questions include:

  • Will information be shared or marketed or subpoenaed in ways the user can't control?
  • Will doctor-patient confidentiality be lost?
  • Will the data be subject to additional security or privacy breaches?

To read the article, click here.

To view the World Privacy Forum report, click here.



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