Would You Share Your Health Information Online?

There is a very strict law (HIPAA) which regulates medical info. It prohibits the unauthorized access or sharing of medical information, except to a patient, authorized agent, or for proven medical necessity. People have been fired from hospital jobs for looking up celebrity medical records, for instance.

IMO, nothing is more personal than medical information, and any measures we take to preserve that info is preferred over a lack of privacy.

I do not support "voluntary" sharing of medical information, especially anything that could identify the party sharing the info. Unscrupulous employers could use that to exclude a candidate for a job if they had medical issues that might raise the employers health insurance costs.

However, for emergency departments, I do support a universal data chip that has their medical history. Such a system requires serious encryption technology and other measures to protect such info from casual or illegal access.

I do support forums that protect personal info and allow important issues like depression, mental health and medical concerns to be shared in a supportive and confidential environment.

I also support universal health care in the US, something that is decades overdue. With luck we might have better infant mortality than Cuba...

Mark in Boston of MA 6:40PM July 13, 2009