A laptop used by an educational psychologist dealing with some of Leeds’s most troubled children has gone missing. The computer was reported missing to police yesterday after being missing for a week. Although Education Leeds say that no sensitive or confidential information was stored on its hard drive, given the nature of work of educational…
The security and privacy arguments about healthcare IT
Over on ZDnet HealthCare, Dana Blankenhorn disagrees with the position of PatientPrivacyRights.org. I, too, disagree with PPR on some issues, but I also disagree with Dana’s proposed “solution” because it does not even begin to address the concerns I have. For the record, I am a mental health professional. Deborah Peel of PPR is a…
States Wired for Health Information Technology
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…
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…