title: Web-browser encryption of personal health information.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electronic health records provide access to an unprecedented amount of clinical data for research that can accelerate the development of effective medical practices. However it is important to protect patient confidentiality, as many medical conditions are stigmatized and disclosure could result in personal and/or financial loss.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We describe a system for remote data entry that allows the data that would identify the patient to be encrypted in the web browser of the person entering the data. These data cannot be decrypted on the server by the staff at the data center but can be decrypted by the person entering the data or their delegate. We developed this system to solve a problem that arose in the context of clinical research, but it is applicable in a range of situations where sensitive information is stored and updated in a database and it is necessary to ensure that it cannot be viewed by any except those intentionally given access.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By developing this system, we are able to centralize the collection of some patient data while minimizing the risk that protected health information be made available to study personnel who are not authorized to use it.
authors.affiliation: MGH Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 Staniford St, Ste 560, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: Prakash
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nadkarni
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Schoenfeld
authors.forename: Dianne M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
mesh_terms: D016494:Computer Security / Q000592:standards*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D001330:Electronic Data Processing / Q000379:methods; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D020408:Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D014481:United States; D014584:User-Computer Interface
references.citation: BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2004 Oct 12;4:17
references.pmid: 15479471