Health Information Privacy (HIPAA) Notices Have Improved Public’s Confidence That Their Medical information Is Being Handled Properly

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – February 24, 2005 – The new federal government regulations to protect the privacy of medical records appears to be having a positive effect in reducing abuses of privacy believed to be taking place and increasing public confidence that personal information will be handled properly. The number of U.S. adults who believe that their personal medical information has been disclosed improperly has fallen, and most people who have received health privacy notices under the new regulations say this has increased their confidence that their privacy will be protected.

These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 1,012 U.S. adults surveyed by telephone between February 8 and 13, 2005 by Harris Interactive^®. This survey was designed with Professor Alan Westin of Columbia University and the Center for Social and Legal Research.

Reports of improper disclosure of medical information have fallen sharply. In a previous survey released in 1993, fully 27 percent of U.S. adults believed that their personal medical information had been released improperly in the previous three years. In this new survey, only 14 percent believe this has happened. In both surveys, health insurers and hospitals or clinics (rather than doctors, employers or public health agencies) were seen as the main culprits.

Two-thirds (67%) of all adults report having received one of the new health privacy notices mandated by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996). These people report that their confidence that their personal medical information is being handled properly has increased a great deal (23%) or somewhat (44%).

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are a hot topic and are seen by many experts, including President Bush, as a way to improve the quality and contain the cost of health care. The majority (71%) of adults have not yet heard or read about them.

Furthermore, when told about them, many people are concerned that sensitive personal information may be leaked because of weak security (70%) or that their information could be shared without their knowledge (69%).

Overall, the public is equally split with 48 percent (when told about electronic medical records) believing that the benefits outweigh the risks to privacy and 47 percent believing the risks outweigh the benefits.

A large majority (82%) believe that it is either very (45%) or somewhat (37%) important that patients will be able to track their own personal medical information in these electronic records.

"In the past three years, do you believe that … has disclosed your personal medical information in a way that you felt was improper, or not?

Base: All Adults

* "Health Information Privacy Survey" conducted by telephone in 1993 by Louis Harris and Associates (now Harris Interactive) for Equifax among 1,000 U.S. adults (aged 18 and over). Sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

"Since 2000, a federal health privacy regulation (called the HIPAA Rule) has required health care organizations to give patients a privacy notice explaining how the organization will collect and use the patient’s health information, how it will keep the information secure and how patients can get access to their own health records, correct any errors, and control most disclosures of their information to people outside the health care system. Have you ever received one of these HIPAA health privacy notices?"

Base: All Adults

"Based on your experiences and what you may have heard, how much have the federal privacy regulation and the privacy notices affected your confidence that your personal medical information is being handled today in what you feel is a proper way? Has it increased your confidence?"

Base: Received HIPAA Privacy Notice

Note: Total may not add to 100% due to rounding

"The federal government has called for medical and health care organizations to work with technology firms to create a nationwide system of patient Electronic Medical Records over the next few years. The goal is to improve the effectiveness of patient care, lessen medical errors, and reduce the high costs of paper handling. Have you read or heard anything about this program?"

Base: All Adults

"Here are some things that some people have said might happen under such a patient Electronic Medical Record system. How concerned are you that…?"

Base: All Adults

Note: Total may not add to 100% because of rounding

"Supporters of the new patient Electronic Medical Record system say that strong privacy and data security regulations will be applied but critics worry that these will not be applied or will not be sufficient. Overall, do you feel that the expected benefits of this patient Electronic Medical Record system to patients and society outweigh potential risks to privacy, or do you feel that the privacy risks outweigh the expected benefits?"

Base: All Adults

"Since most adults now use computers, the new patient Electronic Medical Record system could arrange ways for consumers to track their own personal information in the new system and exercise the privacy rights they were promised. How important do you think it is that such individual consumer tools be incorporated in the new patient Electronic Medical Record System from the start?"

Base: All Adults

The Harris Poll^® was conducted by telephone within the United States between February 8 and 13, 2005 among a nationwide cross section of 1,012 adults aged 18 and over. Figures for age, sex, race, education, number of adults, number of voice/telephone lines in the household, region and size of place were weighted where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population.

In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Sampling error for the results of adults who report having received a health privacy notice (735) is plus or minus 4 percentage points. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors.

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Q651, Q655, Q670, Q675, Q685, Q690, Q695

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Kelly Gullo
Harris Interactive
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