The number of healthcare data breaches in the U.S. has doubled over the past three years, according to a report by the Department of Health and Human Services, and healthcare data breaches affected the medical records of some 40 million Americans in 2022 alone. So, it perhaps should come as little surprise that 95% of people say they’re concerned about their medical records being leaked.
That’s according to a survey by Health Gorilla, a healthcare data network, which found that only 5% of Americans aren’t at all worried their information will be caught up in a healthcare or medical provider leak or data breach, while 70% are “extremely” or “moderately” concerned.
What’s more, American consumers put little stock in Big Tech’s move to offer health data storage and related products: 38% said they don’t trust companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta or Microsoft, while another 27% reported slight distrust. Only 14% fully trust the tech titans, all of whom are making major moves to inject themselves into the healthcare sector.
In addition to concerns over data breaches, Americans have ample reasons to be jittery when it comes to their medical records. Recent research reveals that while HIPAA’s privacy rule has been around for decades, insurers and providers are still violating it on a regular basis.
