Privacy Lost

[Clymer/JR]

An interesting article, exposing PHR vulnerabilities. M. Eric Johnson, director of the Center for Digital Strategies at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, was able to access electronic medical records on computers that had the peer-to-peer programs stored on their hard drives. The medical files contained detailed personal data on physical and mental diagnoses, which a hacker could use to not only embarrass a patient but also to commit medical fraud. Implications for HIPPA compliance are clear. Even more elemental for the consumer ... 'caveat emptor'!