California patient Paul Thompson says the prospect of all health records going electronic — which federal law mandates should happen by 2014 — "scares the living hell out of me." Thompson just found out his patient record had been seriously compromised.
He is right to be concerned. Not only is Thomson a recent victim of a large breach of personal medical records, the information involved is so personal and sensitive, mistakes or breaches can have dire consequences.
As pointed out by the New York Times, "In the wrong hands, health records can be used for blackmail and public humiliation. The information can also be used by insurance companies to inflate rates, or by employers to deny job applicants."
And we agree with the Times - "Leaks are more likely the more data are passed around within the health industry's increasingly interconnected networks."
It's examples like that reported in California that have fueled our battle, over the past 6 years, to ensure that Maine patients have information, options when faced with whether to permit electronic sharing of their medical records.
This year, we supported LD 1337, “An Act To Ensure Patient Privacy and Control with Regard to Health Information Exchanges,” sponsored by Senator Roger Katz (R-Augusta). The ACLU of MAINE drafted this bill in response to the fact that 65% of Mainers are included in a statewide centralized medical records database called HealthInfoNet, but most Mainers are unaware they are being included.
As electronic health records systems develop, privacy and security must continue to be top priorities.
Be on the lookout at your next doctor's visit for new forms (mandated by LD 1337) describing the risks and benefits of participation, as well as the opportunity to decline participation.
And think it through - it's a personal decision based on personal risk - only you know whether it's worth it.
