Science Translational Medicine
9 February 2011 vol 3, issue 69
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/current

Commentaries
Health Information Technology

Electronic Consent Channels: Preserving Patient Privacy Without Handcuffing Researchers
Robert H. Shelton
9 February 2011: 69cm4

Abstract
Advances in health information technology and electronic medical records have the tremendous potential to accelerate translational and clinical research. However, privacy concerns threaten to be a rate-limiting factor. By recognizing and responding to patient privacy concerns, policy-makers, researchers, and information technology leaders have the opportunity to transform trial recruitment and make it safer to electronically locate and convey sensitive health information.