HPIO Summit sparks discussion on EHR security

Speaking at the Health Policy Institute of Ohio’s annual Ohio Health Information Technology Summit recently, Dr. Deborah Peel, founder of Austin, Texas-based Patient Privacy Rights, expressed her concerns about the security of electronic medical records (Source: “Are your medical records secure?” Columbus Dispatch, Dec. 7, 2008).

"Because of the primitive state of health technology, there are a lot of risks with electronic records, frankly far more than paper," Peel said.

Counters Tiffany Himmelreich of the Ohio Hospital Association: "They actually are more secure than paper records. The data is encrypted so Joe off the street doesn't have access to it."

For those who were unable to attend the OHHIT Summit, an event summary and presentation materials are available.