As seen in Government Technology: States are moving at an unprecedented rate to get their health care systems wired and connected. And each year, they increase their speed. To this end, states are passing legislation on health information technology to try to improve the quality of care and control hemorrhaging costs. Lawmakers around the country…
Author: Dissent
The political argument against health IT
Dana Blankenhorn writes: Lots of people want to limit healthcare automation, judging from talkbacks here at ZDNet Healthcare. Their rallying cry is privacy. A group called Patient Privacy Rights, headed by Texas psychologist Deborah Peel (right) and lobbyist Ben Barnes, is their advocate. Their mission statement does not say they’re against automation. Just the opposite. They…
Man enters plea in U. of U. records case
Stephen Hunt reports: One of two men charged in connection with obtaining stolen medical records containing personal information for 1.5 million University Hospital patients accepted a plea deal Monday. Shadd Dean Hartman, 37, and Thomas Howard Anderson, 52, were each charged with one count of second-degree felony theft by receiving stolen property and one count…
Montana Court Affirms Patients’ Right To Die
Robert Baxter, 75, suffering from leukemia, was sleeping Friday, when his lawyer called him to let him know that a Montana court had ruled on his Right-to-Die lawsuit. But, he never woke up and died without knowing that the court had affirmed his right to end his life with the help of doctors. […] According…
WA: Health care data may be breached
Brad Shannon reports: The state Health Care Authority is notifying participants in the state’s Uniform Medical Plan in 2006-07 of a possible personal-data breach involving former pharmacy vendor Express Scripts. It is not known whether the breach, which led to an extortion threat against Express Scripts in early November, compromised any personal data for Washington…
MA: Computer stolen from hospital has patients' info
Bruno Matarazzo Jr. reports: Police and security at Salem Hospital are investigating the theft of a laptop computer that contained personal and medical information on approximately 50 patients. A Hewlett-Packard laptop was stolen from the cardiology department between late November and last Thursday, when hospital nursing staff reported the theft to Salem police. In the…