Business journalist Dana Blankenhorn writes on ZDNet: […] Just two weeks ago the World Privacy Forum, ironically also based in San Diego, came out with two warnings about Personal Health Records (PHRs) which made them appear to be a tragedy waiting to happen. PHRs, once placed online, are not covered by HIPAA, the forum said,…
In the UK, two more stolen hospital laptops cause worry
Although I do not include them in the chronologies of medical privacy breaches available on this site, I do note medical privacy breaches in other countries. Two more reports out of the U.K. this morning are noteworthy. The first involves the Telford & Wrekin Primary Care Trust: A laptop with confidential information about more than…
Virginia: Mental health bills head to Kaine
Mason Adams and Michael Sluss write in The Roanoke Times: The General Assembly voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a package of bills intended to reform Virginia’s mental health system and fill long-neglected gaps exposed by April’s shootings at Virginia Tech. […] The legislation would ease Virginia’s standard for involuntary commitment and improve monitoring of people…
Illinois: Repeal of act requiring students to report their HIV status defeated
Meagan Sexton writes: The Illinois House on Tuesday rejected legislation that would repeal the state’s Communicable Disease Prevention Act, which requires students to report their HIV status to principals. The legislation attracted 43 “yes†votes and 62 “no†votes. House Bill 4314 was an attempt to repeal the existing law that permits a school principal…
Minnesota: Legislation would open up adoption records
People who were adopted would have access to their original birth certificate under a bill that’s been introduced to the Minnesota legislature. The access would allow people who were adopted to find out the names of their birth parents. The bill is facing opposition by some adoption agencies, because some birth parents may not want…
Health records shared online pose dilemma
Keith Darcé writes in the Union-Tribune: After being diagnosed with Lyme disease, former Amazon.com senior executive Keith Schorsch wanted to find others dealing with the illness, and he thought the Internet could help him make those connections. The experience led to the recent launch of Trusera, a Web site that lets people record and share…