Rapid advances and exponential growth in computer
and telecommunications technology have taken
individual records and papers revealing the most intimate
details of one?s life, habits, and genetic predisposition
from the private sector into the public arena in
derogation of privacy considerations. Although computerized
medical information offers a means of streamlining
and improving the health care delivery system
through speed and enormous storage capacity, it also
presents new challenges as it affects the right of privacy
and expectation of confidentiality, creating serious
ethical and legal issues. Other considerations include
constitutional matters such as loss of liberty
when one is compelled to remain in an undesirable or
unsuitable job so that insurance will not be canceled
or the inability to secure another more suitable position
due to genetic predisposition and denial of equal
protection of the laws if one is stigmatized because one
belongs to a certain ethnic or racial group that exhibits
a particular genetic propensity. Collateral questions
concern the propriety of disclosure of confidential
health care information, including genetic data. This
article also considers the proposed federal guidelines
for a health information privacy law. |