“Overall, 55 patient records were electronically viewed by 43 employees. It’s still unclear how many of those ultimately may be found to have had legitimate reasons for looking at patient medical records and may be cleared of wrongdoing.”
Although federal law guarantees patients the right to examine and get copies of their medical records, providers haven’t always made it easy to do so. But the movement to give patients direct access to their health information has picked up steam, and policymakers have encouraged it as a way to empower patients to help manage their health and their medical care.
Film star and pin-up icon Farrah Fawcett set up a sting operation to prove to UCLA that one of its employees was leaking information about her cancer to the National Enquirer. Other celebrities who had information leaked included pop star Britney Spears and former California First Lady Maria Shriver.
Missing servers had information about current and past customers, employees and heath care providers. Social Security numbers were included for some individuals.
An Office of Personnel Management plan to launch a comprehensive database of federal workers’ health care records has raised the ire of some privacy advocates, employee unions and consumer groups.
The data collected will include names, birthdates and other personal identifying information.
New rules to protect your prescription information Information collected with your prescriptions, including your name, the drug and its dosage but your address and social security number, can be sold without your knowledge or permission, New York Times reporter Milt Freudenheim writes in today’s paper. Freudenheim writes: That may change if some little-noted protections from [...]
“Don’t assume your doctor has all the relevant information at his or her fingertips. Usually, in fact, the doctor does not.” — Dr. Carolyn Clancy In this month’s column, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, provides tips on how to make sure you can get information from your [...]
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Lost in translation: Lack of trained interpreters can lead to medical errors
Interpreter services at hospitals and other medical settings are often inadequate, forcing family members, including children, to step in, or the task falls to medical staff members who may not speak the language well.
Some insurers deny ER coverage to people who have been drinking
Laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use. Faced with the prospect of not getting paid for care, some ER personnel sidestep the problem by simply not testing patients’ blood or urine for alcohol.
Travel insurance can protect your wallet — and your health on vacation
Think your regular health insurance policy will cover you if you get into medical trouble overseas?
Don’t bet on it.
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