Patients want their consent sought for use of personal information

Patients are willing to allow personal information from their medical records to be used for research purposes but want to be consulted first. Willison and colleagues (p 373) investigated the concerns of Canadian patients whose doctors used electronic medical records. Three quarters of those surveyed wanted the chance to consent before their deidentified data were used for research. This presents logistical challenges that call for new approaches to consent, taking into account the varying needs of the public and the evolving uses of individuals' information in a broader context.

(Credit: KOBAL COLLECTION)

© 2003 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd

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