Patients' Opinions on Display Methods to Protect Privacy

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Patient Privacy Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Electronic patient record (EPR) systems are increasingly adopted in healthcare.
• Protecting sensitive patient information within EPRs is a critical concern.
• Patient acceptance is key to the successful implementation of new health technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient acceptance of an electronic patient record system incorporating temporary information concealment.
• To assess the feasibility of using a mosaic feature to safeguard patient privacy during EPR use.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving interviews with 11 outpatients at a core hospital in Shizuoka, Japan.
• Exploration of patient perceptions regarding a novel EPR privacy feature.
• Data collection through direct patient interaction and feedback.

Main Results:

• A majority of interviewed outpatients expressed agreement with the proposed privacy-protection method.
• Patients indicated a positive reception to the concept of temporary mosaic redaction on EPR screens.
• The study suggests patient willingness to adopt EPRs with built-in privacy safeguards.

Conclusions:

• The use of temporary mosaic features in electronic patient record systems is likely to be accepted by patients.
• Implementing privacy-enhancing technologies can foster greater patient trust and adoption of digital health records.
• This approach offers a practical solution for addressing privacy concerns in electronic health information management.