The House Commerce Committee today approved H.R. 6357, the Protecting Records, Optimizing Treatment, and Easing Communication through Healthcare Technology Act of 2008. The PRO(TECH)T Act will promote the adoption of health information technology that is intended to improve the delivery of healthcare services. The bill includes some security and privacy safeguards, such as data breach…
Category: Health Data
KY: Doctor's office employee charged with identity theft after allegedly stealing patient's social security numbers
Adrianna Hopkins reports: It’s proof that identify theft can strike at the places where you should feel most safe. Erika Bradford’s facing charges of ID theft after allegedly stealing patient’s social security numbers at the doctor’s office where she worked. Bradford then opened credit cards in the victim’s names. The story does not seem…
De: Electronic Insurance card: Please don't Smile
Some German health insurance funds started asking their members to send in photos for newly issued electronic insurance cards, despite the fact that important security questions regarding the system are still unanswered. The Chaos Computer Club advises all members to not send a photo as yet. Read more – Chaos Computer Club e. V.
UK: Littleborough surgery's patient records stolen
Thousands of patient records have been stolen while they were in storage at an unknown location in the Rochdale area. The data, belonging to 3,500 patients from Trinity Medical Centre on Winton Street in Littleborough, was taken during a burglary on 12 July. The stolen records contained personal details and full medical history of patients,…
Portland officer chooses privacy over truth in medical matter, faces firing
Maxine Bernstein of The Oregonian reports: The last thing Portland Officer Christina Nelson wanted to do was tell fellow officers that she had stomach-band surgery to lose weight and now required more surgery because of complications. She was afraid the news would spread like wildfire, and there would be no end to the ribbing from…
Neb. group files arguments in burial records case
The Columbus Telegram reports that the Adams County Historical Society is appealing a February court decision that let a former state psychiatric hospital keep sealed the identities of 957 people buried in its cemetery. This case is interesting because it pits HIPAA’s provisions that would protect information after death against freedom of information and public…