Poll: people don't trust EHRs.

• Author: Swartz, Nikki
• Position: UP FRONT - Electronic health records - Survey - Brief article

According to a recent Harris Poll, millions of Americans believe they or a relative have had personal medical records either lost or stolen, and they don't trust that electronic health" records (EHRs) are safe.

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The poll of 2,454 adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive revealed that:

* Among those who have heard about medical records being lost or stolen, 7 percent believe that either they (or a family member) may have had their personal medical records lost or stolen. This represents about 4 percent of all adults, or approximately nine million people.

* About seven in 10 adults have either read or heard about medical records with personal health information being lost or stolen from doctor's offices, clinics, hospitals, health insurers, employers, or government agencies. The remaining 31 percent have not read or heard about this issue.

* Among those who have either heard about medical information being lost or stolen or have experienced it, the...