Category: Uncategorized

Michael Foley, the head of journalism at DIT, wrote this analysis of TV3’s recent broadcast about Finance Minister Brian Lenihan’s health: The decision of TV3 to run a story concerning the health of Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan on St Stephen’s Day was based on rumour, with only one justification – to be first, and…

Mike Benner and KGW.com Staff report: PORTLAND, Ore. — Providence Health Plans is re-issuing thousands of insurance cards after personal information was accidentally sent to the wrong policy-holders. Officials with Providence Health Plans say about 4,500 mailings were sent out with the incorrect group and member ID numbers, meaning that some policy holders received others’…

Suellen Hinde reports: A person’s medical information can now be revealed to blood relatives – but not their spouse – without their consent. Doctors can tell a patient’s relatives they have a chance of developing a life-threatening or serious disease because they carry the same genes. New guidelines, released by the National Health and Medical…

Although PHIprivacy.net will continue posting over the next holiday week, I just wanted to take a minute to wish you and your families a happy and healthy holidays. Note that  Santa’s x-ray wound up exposed on the web.  I hope your personal health information is better protected than that!  🙂

Perhaps you saw the news headlines this week about the “Invisible Bracelet.” Lauran Neergaard of Associated Press reports: Emergency health alerts for the Facebook generation? The nation’s ambulance crews are pushing a virtual medical ID system to rapidly learn a patient’s health history during a crisis — and which can immediately text-message loved ones that…