We hear a lot about patient privacy and rights. With high-tech heavyweights like Google and Microsoft getting into the online personal health records game, it's likely that publishing medical information online will become the norm, rather than a futuristic pipe dream. Of course, patients will still want to know that their private information won't be accessed by the prying eyes of bosses, friends, neighbors, or relatives. And, through advertising pushes, test cases, and studies, the industry is working very hard to prove to patients that their medical data will remain private.
But what about the healthcare provider's right to privacy?
Many providers, especially those of a certain age, may not have any idea just how much of their personal information is easily accessible online to anybody—including their patients.
Anyone who comes into contact with patients, whether it be a physician or hospital executive, is accustomed to the dependency of patients in a clinical setting. Yes, we look to our doctors to cure what ails us, but we also want them to offer us comfort and support when we're feeling scared or sick. Some of us also want to know a little about our primary caregiver's history. Where did she graduate from, what do other patients think of her, where else does she practice? With the click of a mouse and few keystrokes, it's a breeze to get that information online at sites like ratemds.com and physicianreports.com. Unfortunately, it's also that easy to access far more personal information. Just by entering my doctor's name in Google or one of the dozens of other search sites, I can find out everything from where my doctor lives to her marital status to how much mortgage she pays.
Researchers at the Journal of the American Medical Association warn that just finding out where you live may not be the worst that can happen when a patient plumbs the Web for dirt on his doctor. Since anyone can write a Blog or create a Web page, including a disgruntled patient, there is the potential for some serious damage to your or your hospital's reputation.
"There may be slanderous information about a physician on the Web, published in a Blog or on a Web page, by a vengeful patient, colleague, or ex-lover," Tristan Gorrindo, MD, and James E. Groves, MD, wrote in an article published in JAMA.
Although you will never be able to completely control what is published about you on the Internet, there are some steps that you can take to control the information that is readily available. The JAMA article recommends that physicians Google their own names regularly to see what's out there, and if you do find slanderous material, be aggressive about getting it removed. Also, create your own Web page. Include basic information about your practice, such as services, address and hours.
"Such information may satisfy a patient's desire to find some digital connectedness to his or her physician, thereby discouraging deeper online probing,” say Gorrindo and Groves. If you are a member of one of the social networking sites out there, like Myspace or Facebook, set your profile to private.
Finally, you can always fall back on the old talking method by asking your patients about how they are using the Internet. "If a physician suspects that an Internet-savvy patient is engaged in seeking personal information about him or her, we recommend that the physician talk with the patient about the garnered information," they write.
Being knowledgeable about the information published regarding you in the virtual world can help keep even the most persistent Cyber stalker from invading your private life.
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The Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors and patients that electronic devices such as pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators and insulin pumps can malfunction when people get CT scans. The scans can cause medical devices to shock patients or start sending inaccurate signals, the FDA said in a public health alert. The agency has received six confirmed reports of devices that malfunctioned after a CT scan and another nine reports of suspected problems, according to the FDA. No deaths occurred.
Intel Corp., the world's biggest computer chip maker, has won FDA clearance to sell an in-home health monitoring system for patients with chronic conditions. The Health Guide system combines an in-home patient device as well as online access that enables healthcare professionals to monitor patients and remotely manage care. The system also incorporates interactive tools for personalized care management and integrates vital sign collection, patient reminders, multimedia educational content and feedback, and electronic communications tools.
The most remarkable aspect about the Internet is how it has morphed into one of the most free-wheeling free speech vehicles imaginable. The sheer number of individual blogs alone is astounding. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, a new weblog, aka "blog," appears every 5.8 seconds. That roughly translates into 15,000 new blogs every day, adding to the millions upon millions already in existence. The healthcare space is not immune, and it seems like every week, I hear of another related blog. On the IT front, some belong to thought leaders like Mark Frisse and John Halamka. One curious one is anonymous, the author being the mysterious "Mr. HisTalk," who apparently has served as a hospital CIO. The author of this blog is no fan of trade magazines, dismissing us journalists as mere mouthpieces for IT software vendors.
Well, if I may digress for a moment, we do have our flaws, but anonymity is not one of them. We reporters are listeners as much as anything, and I for one, do not take my marching orders from software vendors. If anything gets my dander up, it's their relentless stream of hyperbole and jargon, which only serve to distance their own products from intended users. The very word "solution"—which vendors freely substitute for "software" —is a case in point. The only solutions are those carved out by hard-working teams of hospital and medical group staff trying to figure out how to resolve difficult information-sharing questions.
A difference in opinion about the value of journalists, however, underscores the value of the blogs. Where else but in the blogosphere could such a debate play out? If you look at Mr. HisTalk's site, you will find several examples.
Two health insurance plans that are part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association are attempting to capitalize on the allure of online communication—by turning the blog soapbox over to members. No, these are not the personal blogs of the corporate leaders of the plans. Moreover, they go well beyond the patient portal where you can look up benefits and get a new member card. At sites launched by the Minnesota (thehealthcarescoop.com) and Florida (thepowerofthehumanvoice.com) plans, patients sound off on the industry in their own unedited words. The sites are fairly new and have already drawn a fair amount of consumer feedback—both positive and negative.
In contrast to these sites, so many of the sites in the vast blogosphere are little more than one-man-bands whose purpose in life seems to be playing for an audience of one. It is encouraging to see the Blues plans trying something new. If healthcare needs anything, it is more listening to the patients and consumers who foot the ever-mounting bills.
PS. This marks my final issue with HealthLeaders IT. Starting with the next issue, Kathryn Mackenzie will take the reins of the technology beat. It has been my pleasure to serve you over the past 15 months. Please join me in welcoming Kathryn. I know she will do a great job for you.
Gary Baldwin is technology editor of HealthLeaders magazine. He can be reached at gbaldwin@healthleadersmedia.com.
Note: You can sign up to receive HealthLeaders Media IT, a free weekly e-newsletter that features news, commentary and trends about healthcare technology.
A new Web site has been created for medical and information technology professionals to access timely educational resources and information about clinical engineering and IT-related issues affecting the healthcare field. The Web site was developed by a coalition of three national associations—the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, the American College of Clinical Engineering, and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society—which recently formed the CE-IT Community.
The Medical Banking Project is organizing the 7th National Medical Banking Institute, March 11-13, 2009, in Nashville, TN. The project is accepting submissions for presentation at the event.
For submission guidelines see: www.mbproject.org. Topical areas under consideration include:
Information privacy, confidentiality and security that focuses on cross-industry issues in banking and healthcare
Treasury and cash management programs targeting healthcare
Card-based platforms and technologies that link healthcare and banking platforms
Independent Health Record Banks
Consumer-driven healthcare technology tools that integrate with banking platforms