[Med-privacy] UPI article

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United Press International - Health Business - Analysis: "WASHINGTON, 
June 13 (UPI) -- Uploading healthcare records nationwide to an 
electronic system could increase efficiency and lower cost but, if done 
incorrectly, may pose serious threats to patient privacy, experts say.

Health IT has emerged as one of the most bipartisan aspects of 
healthcare reform and could save the nation $162 billion annually by 
increasing prevention, chronic care management, efficiency and safety 
standards, according to a recent RAND Corp. study.

Several policymakers have proposed legislation this session that would 
encourage rapid adoption of electronic health records. However, despite 
the benefits associated with upgrading the healthcare industry's 
recordkeeping abilities, the effort could undermine patient privacy, 
said Deborah Peel, founder and chairman of Patient Privacy Rights, a 
foundation that promotes secure health records.

Electronic medical records currently in use already have serious 
security concerns, Peel said.

'Today we know databases of medical records are not safe,' she said at 
a meeting Wednesday on Health IT and patient privacy sponsored by the 
Progressive Policy Institute. 'The problem is, the major use of 
electronic records today is not to take care of sick people.'

Health records can be accessed by a number of entities, and often the 
information contained in them is sold for research purposes. Secondary 
uses include data mining by pharmacies to enhance marketing efforts and 
employer access to their employees' medical information.

'Over 4 million health-related businesses, government agencies, etc., 
are legally allowed to use and access your medical records without 
notice, without consent and even if you object,' Peel said.

For the most part, though, these groups say the data they use and sell 
cannot be linked to any individual. Thomson Medstat, a data-analysis 
company, only uses de-identified data, said David Wilkins, a company 
spokesman."

(Read Original Article - Via United Press International - Health 
Business - Analysis .)


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<fontfamily><param>Helvetica</param><color><param>0000,0000,EEEE</param><smaller><smaller><x-tad-smaller>United
Press International - Health Business -
Analysis</x-tad-smaller></smaller></smaller></color><smaller><smaller><x-tad-smaller>:
"WASHINGTON, June 13 (UPI) -- Uploading healthcare records nationwide
to an electronic system could increase efficiency and lower cost but,
if done incorrectly, may pose serious threats to patient privacy,
experts say.


Health IT has emerged as one of the most bipartisan aspects of
healthcare reform and could save the nation $162 billion annually by
increasing prevention, chronic care management, efficiency and safety
standards, according to a recent RAND Corp. study.


Several policymakers have proposed legislation this session that would
encourage rapid adoption of electronic health records. However,
despite the benefits associated with upgrading the healthcare
industry's recordkeeping abilities, the effort could undermine patient
privacy, said Deborah Peel, founder and chairman of Patient Privacy
Rights, a foundation that promotes secure health records.


Electronic medical records currently in use already have serious
security concerns, Peel said.


'Today we know databases of medical records are not safe,' she said at
a meeting Wednesday on Health IT and patient privacy sponsored by the
Progressive Policy Institute. 'The problem is, the major use of
electronic records today is not to take care of sick people.'


Health records can be accessed by a number of entities, and often the
information contained in them is sold for research purposes. Secondary
uses include data mining by pharmacies to enhance marketing efforts
and employer access to their employees' medical information.


'Over 4 million health-related businesses, government agencies, etc.,
are legally allowed to use and access your medical records without
notice, without consent and even if you object,' Peel said.


For the most part, though, these groups say the data they use and sell
cannot be linked to any individual. Thomson Medstat, a data-analysis
company, only uses de-identified data, said David Wilkins, a company
spokesman."


(</x-tad-smaller><color><param>0000,0000,EEEE</param><x-tad-smaller>Read
Original Article</x-tad-smaller></color><x-tad-smaller> - Via United
Press International - Health Business - Analysis .)


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  Privacy Digest 6/16/07
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