Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey has notified its members that an employee laptop computer containing personal information for about 300,000 individuals was stolen. The insurer has sent letters to thousands of its members alerting them about the theft, which occurred in Newark, NJ, on Jan. 5, 2008. Horizon says the personal information contained on the computer included names and addresses of members, but no medical data.
A bill being considered in a New Hampshire House committee seeks to tighten health information privacy regulations. If approved, the state's rules would go beyond the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The proposed state law also seeks to put stricter regulations on health information used for research.
As President Bush vies for electronic medical records as one way to reform the nation's ailing healthcare system, some Las Vegas physicians and health insurance carriers are buying in. Southwest Medical Associates, for example, is offering patients My SMA Health Online--which provides patients with a personal page where they can schedule, change or cancel primary care physician and pediatric doctor appointments. Patients can also request prescription renewals from their physicians, manage and update their personal account information and e-mail their physicians.
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield has invested more than $1.5 million in two electronic patient records initiatives in Maryland. CareFirst has pledged $967,000 to plan and implement an electronic patient records system at Community Health Integrated Partnership Inc., a network of seven community health centers. The company also is contributing $550,000 to an $800,000 project at LifeBridge Health to allow patients electronic access to their doctors and hospitals.
Chico (short for Computer Hospital Intensive Care Operator) allows doctors and other medical workers at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami to virtually examine patients, speak to them, and access digital files--even if they are miles away. As the population gets older and the shortage of healthcare professionals becomes more acute, video-conferencing robots like Chico may be the future of medicine.
Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain, have all cited technology in their campaigns for healthcare reform. However, while IT may feature in the next president's healthcare agenda, doubt remains as to whether any of the candidates will deliver fully on their proposals.