Survey Focus
Survey: Keep your hands off my medical records!
Gallup finds Americans are concerned about access
Most Americans do not want the government or other third parties to have access to their medical records — including genetic information — without their permission. These findings were released from a Gallup survey commissioned by the Institute for Health Freedom in Washington, DC. Key findings include:
• 78% say it is very important that their medical records be kept confidential;
• 93% say that medical and government researchers should not be allowed to study an individual’s genetic information unless they first obtain his or her consent;
• 92% oppose allowing government agencies to see their medical records without their permission; 82% object to insurance companies gaining access without permission; and 6% oppose researchers seeing their medical records without the patient’s permission;
• 91% oppose a federal requirement to assign everyone a medical identification number, similar to a Social Security number, to create a national medical database.
"The Gallup survey results show that individuals clearly do not want government agencies or private groups accessing their medical information without their permission," says Sue Blevins, president of the Institute for Health Freedom. "Any new law or regulation — whether federal or state — that strips Americans of their right to determine who sees their medical records is going against the will of the majority of citizens. Consent has always been viewed as a fundamental human right, and the Gallup poll confirms that Americans strongly support that right when it comes to determining who can access their medical and genetic information."
Public is vitally concerned’ about privacy
A privacy expert says that the survey shows there no longer is any doubt that the public is vitally concerned about medical privacy. "The challenge now is how to make policy-makers respect the public’s clearly expressed views," says Charlotte Twight, PhD, JD, professor of economics at Boise (ID) State University. Twight has written extensively about medical-privacy legislation.
The Gallup survey, "Public Attitudes Toward Medical Privacy," was conducted by telephone with 1,000 adults nationwide between Aug. 11 and Aug. 26. The margin of error is ± 3%. The survey report can be viewed in its entirety at the Institute for Health Freedom’s Web site at www.forhealthfreedom.org/Gallupsurvey.
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