Can digital health protect your privacy?

Digitizing health records. A good idea say most experts, but it will take a feat of policy, technology and education to ensure your records don't get into the wrong hands. It all starts with one basic question: Who actually owns your health records? "Right now, hospitals assume the liability, but the model has to shift to one where the patient controls the data and whether it is put online," said Dr. David Brailer, chairman of Health Evolution Partners and former health tech czar under President Bush. "The people who hold your data control your data." Controlling the dissemination of patient data is becoming more of a hot-button issue as the push to go digital heats up. The Obama administration is spending $20 billion on incentives to hospitals and physician offices to ensure that a national digital health network is formed by 2014.