Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights Recent Health IT News
Summaries of recent news about the use of health information technology and the Internet appear below.
- Data security: The California-based World Privacy Forum on Wednesday released a report warning consumers about using third-party Web sites that provide personal health record consolidation services but are not subject to federal privacy and security regulations, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The report does not name specific companies, but raises issues consumers should look into before submitting their health records to a third party, such as whether their information will be shared, marketed or subpoenaed in ways that they cannot control; whether doctor-patient confidentiality will be lost; and whether the data will be subject to additional security or privacy breaches. In addition, Pam Dixon, executive director of WPF, said consumers should find out whether they can remove their personal health records from a company or correct mistakes. "Once information is out there, there may be no way to get it back," Dixon said (Gage, San Francisco Chronicle, 2/20).
- Electronic prescriptions: Lawmakers and health care industry officials at a recent congressional budget hearing urged physicians to use electronic prescribing technology, which, according to one industry estimate, could save the federal government up to $29 billion over a 10-year period, the AP/Tennessean reports. Industry observers say that e-prescribing systems will make the process of filling prescriptions more efficient, reduce the chances of medical errors and encourage physicians to prescribe lower-cost drugs. While "the next generation of physicians is already using the technology, ... older physicians have been reluctant," arguing that they must pay the initial costs of setting up the system but pharmacy benefits managers will receive the immediate savings, the AP/Tennessean reports (Perrone, AP/Tennessean, 2/20).
- Online risks: The National Retail Foundation on Wednesday issued a consumer advisory to warn online shoppers about purchasing health and beauty products that could be stolen, contaminated or pose serious health and safety risks, the Los Angeles Times reports (Earnest, Los Angeles Times, 2/20). One of the main concerns of NRF officials is the storage methods used for the products, some of which require specific temperatures and conditions, USA Today reports. Joe LaRocca, vice president of loss prevention at NRF said, "The products are supposed to be maintained at certain temperatures and not supposed to be kept in moist environments" (Dugas, USA Today, 2/20). NRF officials issued the advisory after law-enforcement officials in Florida recently recovered more than $100 million worth of stolen retail products that were being sold online (Haberkorn, Washington Times, 2/20).
