EUobserver reports on the global transition to electronic health records (EHRs) and the privacy concerns therein. According to a European Commission study, two-thirds of European hospitals have a system in place for EHRs. Assistant European Data Protection Supervisor Giovanni Buttarelli says the creation of a large-scale central database could be a "monster" and prone to data breaches. "Security is something you can look for but not ensure," he said. He suggests data should only be available on a "need-to-know basis" and calls for the harmonization of standards on data access. One expert said, however, that the transition is imminent. "It is the future, we cannot stop it," he said. 
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