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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

To the Editor: In their article, Mr Hodge and colleagues¹ state, "This dilemma [of threats to privacy of personally identifiable health data caused by technological improvements in health-related computer technology] can only [italics added] be corrected through national legislation."

However, new approaches to the problem of protecting the privacy of confidential health information must also be considered.² For instance, technological strategies to protect the privacy of individuals have many unique advantages.

Health insurers, including governments, do not need to know the identity of individuals whose care they pay for—they only need to know that the person is eligible for benefits, that the treatment provided was reasonable and necessary, that the treatment actually was provided to the person for whom it was intended, and that the effectiveness and quality of care provided can be assessed in an ongoing way (something we do not do very well with our existing system). Perhaps . . . [Full Text of this Article]

RELATED ARTICLE

Legal Issues Concerning Electronic Health Information: Privacy, Quality, and Liability
James G. Hodge, Jr, Lawrence O. Gostin, and Peter D. Jacobson
JAMA. 1999;282(15):1466-1471.
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