NCQA News Executive Summary One of the touchstones of our health system is the deep trust that patients place in their providers.
Patients entrust to their doctors information they share with few other human beings.
They know that this openness and honesty is essential to obtaining appropriate and effective health care. Increasingly, however, some patients may pause before sharing certain information with their providers. They may wonder who in addition to their doctor will become privy to highly personal details. They are aware that some of their information must be shared with unknown individuals who handle reimbursement insurance and quality of care issues. However, they may wonder who else has access to their information, or how well is its privacy protected when transmitted electronically among these parties.