Technical difficulties. Recent health IT security breaches are unlikely to improve the public's perception about the safety of personal data.

Consumers who claimed in recent surveys that they were "more afraid of cyber crimes than physical crimes" may have had reason for caution. A spate of well-publicized information thefts and security breaches at healthcare organizations have eroded trust in technology, says Carol Diamond, left, of the Markle Foundation, and that could have an adverse effect on acceptance of electronic medical records.