Information security and privacy in the healthcare sector is an issue of growing importance but much remains to be done to address the various issues raised by healthcare consumers regarding privacy and security and the providers’ perspective of regulatory compliance.

Writing in the International Journal of Internet and Enterprise Management, Ajit Appari and Eric Johnson of Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA, explain that the adoption of digital patient records, increased regulation, provider consolidation and the increasing need for information exchange between patients, providers and payers, all point towards the need for better information security. Without it patient privacy could be seriously compromised at great cost to individuals and to the standing of the healthcare industry.