We know who you are.
We know where you live, where you are, where you go, and where you've gone.
We know who your relatives are, your friends are, and who your neighbors are.
We know what you watch on television and what you do on the internet.
We know what allergies you have, and whether you wear eye glasses.
We know who you've called on the phone, and who've called you.
We know where you shop and what you buy.
We know whether you rent or own a home.
We know how much you money you have.
We know what kind of car you drive.
We know what god/s you worship.
We know who you've worked for.
We know what vices you have.
We know who you voted for.
We have your DNA.
We know your IQ.
What do you know about us?
Electronic medical data less than secure
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/living/health/16578277.htm
PHILADELPHIA - While some describe electronic medical records
as a superhighway to better care and increased efficiency in
the medical system, others worry that it could be a dangerous
dark alley.
"The electronic health system is not safe," said Deborah C. Peel,
an Austin, Texas, psychiatrist who founded the Patient Privacy
Rights Foundation.
"When medical records leave the health-care system,
it is going to result in secret discrimination --
for jobs, for banking and credit," she said.
"There are a lot illnesses that are embarrassing,
stigmatizing or expensive."
Peel worries that people may avoid seeking treatment
for certain conditions to preserve their privacy.
Also, she fears that aggregate medical information
-- with personal identifiers masked -- will be sold
or distributed to big employers or researchers without
the consent of those providing the records.
The psychiatrist cited research by Latanya Sweeney,
editor of the academic Journal of Privacy Technology.
In her research, Sweeney found that even a few pieces
of information, such as ZIP code, gender and birth date,
would sometimes be enough to specifically identify an
individual, even in a large aggregate group.
As America develops an electronic medical-records program,
it should follow the lead of European countries, Peel said.
In Europe, each patient must state very specifically who
can have access to information, and information used for
one purpose cannot be used for another without the patient's
fresh consent.
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