Study: EHRs 'double-edged sword' due to privacy concerns

EHR use might prevent patients from sharing all relevant information thanks to privacy and security concerns, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA).

The researchers, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Dartmouth College, called EHRs a "double-edged sword" because of their perception of improving care quality but also being a source of data breaches.

Using a nationally representative sample from the 2012 Health Information National Trends Survey, the researchers found that 13 percent of respondents reported having withheld information from their provider because of privacy and security concerns.

The researchers then conducted bivariate and multivariate studies to see if there was a correlation between this non-disclosure and whether the provider used an EHR. The initial bivariate study found no correlation. When the researchers factored in the patient's global assessment of quality, however, there was a positive link between the provider's use of an EHR and the patient's withholding of information.

"[O]ur findings suggest that perceived EHR usage may elicit nondisclosure to protect privacy," the researchers said. "Future research should seek to determine whether this association is because patients are concerned about how the EHR is used during clinical visits, or about more general concerns related to the information security of electronic records, or both."

The researchers recommended that providers discuss with patients the benefits of EHRs, as well as privacy and security issues, and to consider how their use of EHRs may affect patient disclosure.

To learn more, read the abstract.