Author: Dissent

Theodore F. di Stefano writes in E-Commerce Times: Consolidated medical information online could not only save lives but also create efficiencies. Plus, privacy concerns could be swept aside by allowing patients to secure their data by giving short-term or long-term passwords to medical providers. […] First of all, you the patient would obviously have the…

Over in her blog, Well, on the New York Times, Tara Parker-Pope recently blogged about the recent disclosure that an employee at UCLA had peeked at Farrah Fawcett’s records. In response to her blog, one commenter, “SavvyDoc,” commented that it was a “HUGE” invasion of privacy and the employee should have reprimanded (just “reprimanded,” SavvyDoc?),…

The Associated Press reports: If there’s one person whose medical records you wouldn’t want to lose track of, it’s the co-chairman of the congressional caucus that focuses on protecting consumers’ privacy. But that’s whose medical records went missing. Rep. Joe Barton was one of 3,000 patients whose records may have been breached when a National…

On NPR today: As more doctors go online to communicate with patients, two of the country’s biggest health insurers have started reimbursing patients for the Internet visits. But critics say the online advising could lead to errors, and patient privacy could be compromised. Listen to the interview on NPR. iHealthBeat describes the segment: Earlier this…

Jacob Goldstein writes in The Wall Street Journal: LA is a company town, and some employees at UCLA Medical Center seem to be having a tough time keeping their noses out of movie stars’ business. The med center fired more than a dozen employees and disciplined others, including six physicians, for unauthorized looks at Britney…

KTRK News reports: A Texas City man has been indicted for allegedly stealing the identity of a Vietnam War veteran and using that identity to receive health care benefits, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced. An investigation led to the return of a six count indictment on March 31, 2008, charging Gerry Lynn McAfee, 52,…