Health Hazard: Computers Spilling Your History

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Monty Solomon <monty () roscom com>
Date: December 2, 2006 9:14:22 PM EST
To: undisclosed-recipient:;
Subject: Health Hazard: Computers Spilling Your History


Health Hazard: Computers Spilling Your History

By MILT FREUDENHEIM and ROBERT PEAR
December 3, 2006

BILL CLINTON'S identity was hidden behind a false name when he went
to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital two years ago for heart surgery, but
that didn't stop computer hackers, including people working at the
hospital, from trying to get a peek at the electronic records of his
medical charts.

The same hospital thwarted 1,500 unauthorized attempts by its own
employees to look at the patient records of a famous local athlete,
said J. David Liss, a vice president at NewYork-Presbyterian.

And just last September, the New York City public hospital system
said that dozens of workers at one of its Brooklyn medical centers,
including doctors and nurses, technicians and clerks, had improperly
looked at the computerized medical records of Nixzmary Brown, a
7-year-old who prosecutors say was beaten to death by her stepfather
last winter.

Powerful forces are lobbying hard for government and private programs
that could push the nation's costly and inefficient health care
system into the computer age. President Bush strongly favors more use
of health information technology. Health insurance and medical device
companies are eager supporters, not to mention technology companies
like I.B.M. and Google. Furthermore, Intel and Wal-Mart Stores have
both said they intend to announce plans this week to embrace
electronic health records for their employees.

Others may soon follow. Bills to speed the adoption of information
technology by hospitals and doctors have passed both chambers of
Congress.

But the legislation has bogged down, largely because of differences
over how to balance the health care industry's interest in
efficiently collecting, studying and using data with privacy concerns
for tens of millions of ordinary Americans - not just celebrities and
victims of crime.

Advocates of such legislation, including Representative Joe L.
Barton, the Texas Republican who is the chairman of the House Energy
and Commerce Committee, said that concern about snooping should not
freeze progress on adopting technology that could save money and
improve care.

...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/03/business/yourmoney/03health.html? 
ex=1322802000&en=b2c0f7946b4e3d9d&ei=5090








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