Transcriber Threatens Release of Medical Records

Posted by michael on Thursday October 23, 2003 @01:08AM from the it's-10PM-do-you-know-where-your-gall-bladder-is dept.

talboito writes "David Lazarus of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on problems subcontracting sensitive data to outside firms. An unpaid Pakistani transcriber threatened to release medical records of patients at UCSF Medical Center on the internet. The article notes: 'U.S. laws maintain strict standards to protect patients' medical data. But those laws are virtually unenforceable overseas, where much of the labor-intensive transcribing of dictated medical notes to written form is being exported.' Most frightening, UCSF was unaware that its records were being sent overseas. The article traces their path backward through a chain of three different subcontractors."

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Cut rate prices == cut rate professionalism ? by curtisk · 2003-10-23 01:23 · Score: 1, Flamebait

"I can't believe this happened," Kaneko said. "We've been working for UC for 20 years, and nothing like this has ever happened before."
Yeah, because your orginization didn't jump on the cheap-labor-train before.
Hell, if you send sensitive data overseas to a extremely low paid transcriber, are you really surprised? Especially when you stiff them for their paltry $500 pay. LOL, was the cheap labor worth it now?

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Sehr geehrter Toilettenbenutzer!
Pakistan != ND by Jammer@CMH · 2003-10-23 01:42 · Score: 0, Flamebait

We're also quite interested in Bin Laden, who is often reported to be in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Pakistan is far from transparent to western intelligence and law enforcement.