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Survey reveals consumers’ concern about health information privacy

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, January 27, 2006

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Two in three Americans are concerned about the confidentiality of their personal health information and are largely unaware of their privacy rights, a 2005 national survey conducted by California HealthCare Foundation revealed.

Despite federal protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the majority of consumers harbor concerns that employers will use their medical information to limit job opportunities, the study found.

Other findings include

• one in eight patients reportedly engages in behavior to protect personal privacy, presenting a potential risk to their health (e.g., avoiding the doctor, testing and/or treatment)
• one third of respondents were unaware of federal protections for their personal medical records
• 23% of respondents reported awareness of a specific incidence in which personal information was compromised

To read the full report, click here.

Source: California HealthCare Foundation

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