Lesley Tanner of CBS reports: Hackers breached the computer system used by UMass Amherst’s Health Services, potentially gaining access to thousands of medical records. More than half of the student population at UMass Amherst are patients on record at the University Health Services. […] Though many of the most personal medical records are kept on…
Category: Health Data
Snowe's genetic privacy bill wins support
The Portland Press Herald reports: Senate Democrats and Republicans struck a deal on Tuesday to consider landmark legislation protecting genetic privacy. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Olympia Snowe, a Republican, would prevent health insurance companies and employers from discriminating against those who could be predisposed to a disease or illness based on a genetic test….
Doctors behaving badly harm all of our health
Dr. Edward V. Craig comments on msnbc.com: […] His words rushed back to me recently as I read on the Internet of two headline-grabbing instances where doctors appeared to have deeply violated patient trust. Last week, a Philippine hospital recommended possible dismissal of a group of surgeons and a nurse whose rowdy, unprofessional behavior while…
Someone's put their foot in it at Boots
Martin Waller of Times Online writes: Boots is the latest company to be embarrassed by the loss of confidential information after a drug addict stole a back-up tape with details of customers to whom the company had sold dental insurance. Boots is blaming Medisure, the insurer, which is blaming the security firm that was transporting…
Vendors, stakeholders aim to dispel privacy myths about EHRs
Diana Manos writes in Healthcare IT News: Healthcare IT vendors and other stakeholders at a recent Capitol Hill briefing sought to dispel what they called “privacy myths” concerning electronic health records. “People are scaring lawmakers about data flying around the Internet,” said Justin Barnes, a board member of the Confidentiality Coalition and vice president of…
Contractor or vendor woes (commentary)
A few recent breaches involving health information have gotten me thinking more about contractor or third party data losses. Is our reaction to such incidents the same as it would be if the hospital, insurance company, or other covered entities directly experienced the breach or loss themselves? Is there some psychological reaction whereby the more…