The Economist has opened an online debate allowing people to weigh in on whether "any loss of privacy" by digitizing healthcare would be "more than compensated for by the welfare gains from increased efficiency." Peter Neupert of Microsoft Health Solutions defends the idea, saying, "Consumers must trust that the organizations they are engaged with are accountable and will respect--and protect--the privacy of their data." While Deborah Peel, founder of the advocacy group Patient Privacy Rights, argues, "There are strong indications that the social benefits of EHR systems will be blunted unless comprehensive and meaningful privacy protections are built in upfront."
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