HHS cites improper use of medical information
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Donna E. Shalala says she will notify Congress of HHS plans to seek criminal penalties for improper use of medical information.
Shalala says rapid changes in health care and the use of computers has had a great effect on privacy. "The computer revolution means that our deepest and darkest secrets no longer exist in one place and can no longer be protected by simply locking up the office doors each night," she says.
She points out that the people violating medical privacy are not computer hackers, but rather people working within the health care system.
Shalala says medical records are needed by medical researchers and by officials assigned to uncover waste, fraud, and abuse, but argues that the debate should focus on whether "records will be used to heal you or reveal you."
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