[LINK] Re; Computer experts queasy about medical records going online.

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

David writes,

> I believe electronic records are necessary and inevitable. 
> Unfortunately, exeprience leads me to conclude that the implementation 
> will be abysmal.

In America, they're lining up ..

'Law firms see big money in healthcare breach cases'

By Taylor Armerding, April 16, 2012

Cybercriminals are not the only ones looking to make money from health 
data breaches.

In California, where a unique state law provides for damages of $1,000 
per person per violation of the Confidentiality of Medical Information 
Act of 1981 (CMIA), plaintiff law firms are lining up to file privacy 
data breach class-action lawsuits against hospitals, medical service 
providers and health insurers that, if successful, could easily yield 
payouts in the multiple millions.

The San Francisco-based legal publication The Recorder reported April 6 
that at least a half-dozen plaintiff firms had filed complaints for 
privacy breaches so far, seeing it as a lucrative new source of income.

Indeed, a suit pending against St. Joseph Health System involves the 
exposure of medical information of about 31,800 patients. 

At $1,000 each, even if only one violation is involved, it is simple math 
to see that would yield damages of $31.8 million. 

Now, with patient records in digital form, "you could have a million 
records stolen in a couple of seconds," says Randy Sabett, an attorney 
with ZwillGen, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm. 

He says a colleague took part in a survey where 38 percent of companies 
in the medical and financial industries admitted to being knowingly out 
of security compliance .. 

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/041612-law-firms-see-big-money-
258297.html?page=1

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Cheers,
Stephen