Which eyes will see, which ears will hear?
Pharmacy chick was reading yet another (?!?) article about somebody’s laptop being stolen with private health information on it. Without getting into too much detail, there was chart info, and billing information for a lot of patients at some HMO on a laptop stolen from somebody’s truck.
Aside from the obvious (like, what in the sam hell was this information on a laptop anyway?), who leaves computers in cars anyway? You are just begging for somebody to steal it. But lets lets address the first issue. This kind of stuff shouldn’t be leaving the office in the first place. If my personal information is on some main frame computer in a dr’s office then THAT is where it belongs. It shouldn’t be riding around in somebody’s truck. I dont take patient’s profiles home on my computer. In fact, I have no access to downloading any kind of information off my store computer. Why would I want it anyway? To work at home? Screw that.
Privacy is a joke. We all know it. Lots of eyes see private information. Lets just look at one thing: credit card numbers. Everytime I pay my credit card, I write a check. Some minimum-wage data entry person in a huge building will rip open my bill and input into a computer that I paid my bill, and what I paid. This person has my credit card number, my checking account number, my name, address, phone, and my signature. Tell me that doesn’t freak you out a bit. I have had this account for 15 years. I doubt that Mr/Mrs Data entry is the same person every month so hundreds of entry people have had access to my stuff. I hope they have good hiring skills and security.
Go to PC pharmacy. I have a counselling window, a drop off window and a pick up window. To be honest, if I want privacy, I’d have to take the customer to the bathroom. My counselling window opens up into my wait room. My pick up window is at the checkstand. You can pick which ears will hear your conversation: either the people picking up their rx or the people still waiting in the wait room. If I try to speak low, then I usually hear “huh?”. I carefully pick words as to not reveal too much information for sensitive issues. Its a no win situation.
Recently we updated our life insurances to replace some policies ready to expire. We had to sign a tome worth of papers, essentially opening our life up for view by somebody in a cubicle to decide if we are deserving of more term insurance. We literally signed away all of our privacy rights on one page. They can see and ask for everything. Clearly, if you want life insurance, you have no right to privacy either.
And, as I wrote before, try ordering a pizza. the guy on the other end has your name and phone number already…on caller ID.
I went to get a hair cut last week at one of these big chain quick cutting places. They wanted my name/address/phone “for their records”. “What for?” asked I. “for our records…again…and to send you coupons…” So what? you are gonna clip some hairs off my head and I am going to pay you cash, and I do not need any coupons. They make me feel like a dolt for not wanting to fork over all my info.
Security cameras are everywhere. I cannot imagine how many times I have my picture recorded in a given day.
Too many eyes will eventually see and too many ears will eventually hear.
And, don’t kid yourself into thinking otherwise….
Tags: big brother | |