Sure, but we can fix that in a number of ways. We could, for example, require the use of smartcards to encrypt the records, so that only doctors or the specifi

Sure, but we can fix that in a number of ways. We could, for example, require the use of smartcards to encrypt the records, so that only doctors or the specific patient to who the record pertains can read things. It would be a bit pricey, of course, since each patient would need a smartcard, but it is not as though the problem is insurmountable. It would also be reasonable to just issue smartcards to medical workers, and have patients obtain their records in-person (though I prefer a solution that allows records to be obtained at home). The problems with security are mainly an artifact of the failure to utilize the available technologies, not that such technologies do not exist. It does not really help that a lot of relevant technologies are horribly patent encumbered (e.g. attritubte-based encryption, which would probably be covered by a number of IBE and ECC patents), but this would not be the first time patents have been the bottleneck in deploying important software.