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Ways Technology Threatens Your Privacy (and How to Protect Yourself)

by Riva Richmond on May 14, 2009 at 02:13 PM



8) Electronic medical data

The digital revolution is coming to medical data. Hospitals, doctors offices, pharmacies, and insurance companies are moving toward electronic records. Web-based services like Google Health and Microsoft's HealthVault have sprouted. Digital files may be a boon for reduced medical errors and better efficiency, but the opportunities for privacy breaches could rise. Federal law requires medical information be protected, but only covers players in the healthcare system, not the Googles of the world.

And be warned that defending the rights you do have can be tricky. Find tips and tricks on getting and fixing errors in your records here, and how to talk to your doctor about privacy concerns here.

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