Two studies recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggest that patients are less wary of sharing sensitive health information than doctors and policymakers, the National Journal reports. One study, conducted by Stanford University, found that nearly four out of five Veterans Health Administration (VA) patients currently using electronic health records would prefer to share the sensitive data outside the VA network. The study's author said, "One hears a lot about privacy and data security when it comes to health records, and this has shown to be a concern for many patients...However, it is clear from our findings that patients desire the ability to share their health information." The second study, conducted by Harvard University, indicates that respondents' desire to have access to their medical records outweighs privacy concerns, the report states.
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