"How Safe Are Your Medical Records?"

"How Safe Are Your Medical Records?"

I came across this article while doing some research on the internet and decided to share it as it has direct bearing on the use of Internet and the Future of Healthcare.

The article, published in Forbes magazine dated 06-03-09, provides details medical data theft at the University of Berkeley and how hackers were able to steal data from separate servers over a a span of six months, which included information such as Social Security numbers, birth dates and addresses, and immunization records.

Per the article, all in all the security breach affected 160,000 people, most of them current and former students. However, what was interesting for me was the close relationship one would not otherwise expect one's medical data could have to one's financial well being. For most people, I would assume, if someone stated that their medical records, then we may dismiss the theft by saying what is someone going to gain by knowing I had x, y or z condition. Since we are more focused on the medical theft aspect of the breach, we would not innately think someone could open false accounts under our name.

However, since name, address and date of birth information along with social security is standard information with all medical records it is not hard to see how one's financial well being can be exploited from one's medical records.

All in all, it was an interesting article to read. Should you interested then the entire article can be viewed at the following url: http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/03/health-identity-theft-lifestyle-health-medical-records.html

Cheers!

3 Reasons Why I Won't Use Twitter's Geolocation Feature

"3 Reasons Why I Won't Use Twitter's Geolocation Feature
Daniel Ionescu, PC World"

I am across this article on PC Worlds website (dated August 21, 2009). The article describes a new feature that Twitter is going to introduce called Geolocation. Much of the article is focused on the cons of this feature. Relevance to Healthcare? Well, as more and more information is moving to the internet and is in one way or the other, becoming a matter of public domain, the need for privacy is being challenged constantly. It is easier to keep your privacy to begin with then to ask for it back (if not impossible). Now the current course has encouraged us students to open Facebook and Twitter accounts. I have been reluctant to date, primarily over concerns for privacy, but will eventually sign-up (I do of course have to pass the course). However, I would be interested in finding out what the opt out policy is and how difficult or easy it would be to reclaim one's privacy.

The entire article can be read at the following url: http://www.pcworld.com/article/170574/3_reasons_why_i_wont_use_twitters_geolocation_feature.html?tk=nl_dnx_h_crawl

Enjoy!

Pfizer will make clinical trial networking site

Came across the following interesting article...

Pfizer Inc. said Wednesday it will team with information technology company Private Access to create a Web site where patients can find out about clinical trials of new drugs, and where physicians, researchers and drug companies can look for test subjects.

The New York drugmaker said patients will be able to post personal health information at the site, and using privacy options, they will be able to make the information visible only to researchers who are focused on conditions that interest them. Pfizer said that will make it easier for patients to find out about relevant trials, and for researchers and doctors to find the patients they need.

The full article can be accessed at: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Pfizer-will-make-clinical-apf-3202925545.html?x=0&&printer=1

Stanford prof sequences own genome in a week

I came across this article today, Stanford prof sequences own genome in a week. The article touts that in the near future technological progress in the field of DNA sequencing will allow for gene scans to be more affordable and perhaps pave the way to customized disease prevention.

Should you want to read the entire article, then it can be viewed at the following url:

http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2009/08/11/news/latest_news/doc4a8079deb939c029794975.txt

Enjoy!

And You Thought a Prescription Was Private

I came across this article, And You Thought a Prescription Was Private, published in the New York Times on 08-08-09. Very interesting article to say the least, and it goes over the following topics:

1. Personal Health Information
2. Privacy Laws
3. Efforts to de-identify patient information from medical/prescription records

Should anyone be interested in reading this article then they can view it at the following url:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/business/09privacy.html?em)

Introdcution

Hi,

This blog has been setup as part of a Health Informatics course - Internet and the Future of Patient Care - offered through UC Davis's Extension program.

Through the course of the semester I will periodically update this blog as and when I come across relevant reading material pertinent to this course.

Thank you for stopping by.

- Rajiv