Healthcare IT Update

Experts emphasize balance between patient care and privacy.

Personal health data is less secure now than it was a year ago, according to a recent online survey by nCircle, an IT solutions provider.

Almost half of the 257 people who participated in the survey said they are anxious about the fact that multiple partners of their health care providers (i.e., such as EHR vendors and insurers) have access to personal electronic information — increasing the risk of security breaches.

“The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is expected to intensify the already huge push for electronic health records, and many IT professionals and consumers feel their personal health information is less secure than ever,” says Alex Quilter, health care security strategist with nCircle in a press release. “The health care industry’s focus on patient care is imperative, but should not come at the expense of patient privacy.”

Quilter…