The role of health care experience and consumer information efficacy in shaping privacy and security perceptions of medical records: national consumer survey results.

Although most adults are confident in the privacy and security of their medical records, many express concerns regarding sharing of information between providers; a minority report withholding information from their providers due to privacy and security concerns. Whether individuals thought their provider was using an EHR was not associated with negative privacy/security perceptions or withholding, suggesting the transition to EHRs is not associated with negative perceptions regarding the privacy and security of medical information. However, monitoring to see how this evolves will be important. Given that positive health care experiences and higher information efficacy were associated with more favorable perceptions of privacy and security, efforts should continue to encourage providers to secure medical records, provide patients with a "meaningful choice" in how their data are shared, and enable individuals to access information they need to manage their care.