Charles Ornstein reports: During her senior year at Yale University, Andrea faced spiraling depression and anxiety. She sought treatment at the campus health center, where she received medication and therapy. By the final week of classes, though, her struggles had grown more intense. Andrea was drinking heavily and contemplating suicide. She was hospitalized against her…
Category: Healthcare
The Price of a ‘Free’ Copay Card? Privacy
Whoa. Ignoring all advice not to collect more personal information than you legitimately need for the stated purpose, Amgen tries to gobble up tons of protected health information that it will disclose to unspecified third parties for a decade…. as the price of them giving you a copay card to help you pay for their…
Court case threatens physician-patient confidentiality
The American Medical Association has issued the following press release: What if patients no longer felt safe sharing personal–yet crucial–information with their physicians? A case to be heard by the Washington Supreme Court threatens the integrity of the patient-physician relationship, potentially raising new obstacles to communication and trust. In Volk v. DeMeerleer, a treating psychiatrist…
AU: “Significant privacy concerns” over myHealth Record system
Harriet Alexander reports: New laws to give doctors and pharmacists instant access to medical records may pose a risk to human rights by violating privacy. A parliamentary joint committee on human rights has called on Health Minister Sussan Ley to explain what safeguards are in place to protect Australians’ privacy when their health records are…