Poll: 93% of Americans Want to Decide Which Companies, Agencies Can See Their PHI

Patient Privacy Rights (Austin, Texas), the nation's health privacy watchdog, worked with Utica, N.Y.-based Zogby International to conduct an online survey of more than 2,000 adults to identify their views on privacy, access to health information, and health information technology (health IT). The results were overwhelmingly in favor of individual choice and control over personal health information.

Ninety-seven percent of Americans believe that doctors, hospitals, labs, and health technology systems should not be allowed to share or sell their sensitive health information without consent. Insurance companies should not have access to electronic health records without permission either. Ninety‐eight percent oppose insurance companies sharing or selling health information without consent.

Ninety-one percent of Americans want to be able to decide which individual people can see and use their health information. Americans are not just concerned about corporations snooping in their medicine cabinets, but also about researchers, nosy employees, and people with malicious intent, such as an ex‐spouse or abusive partner.