LAUSR

As personal health information is digitized and entrusted to healthcare professionals and the technology vendors that manage health information systems (e.g., electronic health records), questions continue to arise regarding how this information is used and protected. By understanding what factors shape people’s health information privacy concerns (HIPCs), organizations can better manage reactions and concerns regarding the use of new technologies and guidance can be produced to help people better protect their health information. We conduct a mixed methods study to examine antecedents to HIPC and find that individuals’ characteristics, perceptions, and experiences all play important roles in shaping HIPC. We also show that users who report high HIPC are less likely to allow their health information to be included in an electronic health record system. The study is conducted using Irish respondents and thus provides a European perspective from a country in which health information systems are not yet widespread.