Privacy is one of the main concerns of any data analytics process that involves gathering information from consumers. This is even more true in the case of health care because of the sensitive nature of the data. But health care is also one of the industries that stands to benefit, and indeed is already benefiting, the most from analytics. Now, a survey conducted by NPR and Truven Health Analytics shows that Americans are probably more willing to share their medical information than is generally thought.

Sixty-eight percent of respondents to the survey said they would allow their health data to be used anonymously for research purposes. Conversely, when asked if they feel uncomfortable sharing their records, only 16 percent agreed they don’t like sharing with their insurers, 14 percent with hospitals and 11 percent with physicians.

The survey also shows a significant adoption of electronic health records (EHRs): 74 percent said their physicians use them. That percentage is higher among patients that are older and those with a higher level of education.

“An overwhelming number of patients have had experiences with EHRs, which seems to point toward a concerted effort among health care providers to share information as a means to faster, more accurate care,” said Truven CMO Michael Taylor. “While privacy concerns have been an issue in the past, as EHRs continue to become more prevalent, it appears that Americans are becoming increasingly comfortable sharing this type of information with employers, providers and health plans.”

Health organizations are increasing their EHR adoption and improving their access to updated patient data. With comprehensive ETL architecture, they can make those records available across various providers, further improving the efficiency of their operations.