Americans' medical files go digital, by way of Asia

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Also what guarenntees do we have that our information will remain  
private. Does Philipenne law protect it?

sjf


Begin forwarded message:

From: "lynn" <lynn () ecgincc com>
Date: April 19, 2009 9:02:13 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Americans' medical files go digital, by way of Asia

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-fg-philippines-transcribe19-2009apr19,0,902588.story

Americans' medical files go digital, by way of Asia

snip

The Philippines hopes to reap big profits from his multibillion-dollar
push to computerize health records.

The business of transcribing American medical files employed 34,000
Filipinos and generated $476 million in revenue last year, said Ernesto
Herrera, a former senator who heads the Trade Union Congress of the
Philippines. He expects the number of transcriptionists to more than
triple, and annual billings to jump to more than $1.7 billion, by the  
end
of next year.

"Outsourcing is unavoidable, because the cost in the U.S. is just too
high," Herrera said. Filipinos can beat Indians in the race for medical
transcription work from the U.S. because, as a former American colony,  
the
Philippines is more familiar with American accents, Herrera said. This
country also has a vast pool of jobless medical workers who need little
additional training to take dictation from American doctors, he said.

snip

It is my understanding the stimuls bill is supposed to help people in  
this
country, not other countries.

I'm sure, given the opportunity, there are many American workers who  
would
gladly take the same pay as outsourced workers just to have a job.

It was also my understanding from speaking to several people working in
several senators offices that the stimulus is supposed to stay in this
country. What sleight of hand is being used to move it to another  
country?

Lynn





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