September 17, 1999

Is the Loss of Personal Privacy the Price of Medical Progress?

By DAVID L. WHEELER

A debate over researchers' access to patients' records reaches a fever pitch

A national debate scheduled to come to a head this fall pits advocates of personal privacy against researchers who say that without the ability to review medical records, they will have difficulty advancing public health.

The urgency of the debate is heightened by the increasing number of records that are maintained and transmitted electronically, allowing insurance companies, hospitals, physicians, and

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