Brickbat: It Takes a Thief

Quebec police officers raided the home of a reporter after he did an expose on how Montreal hospitals leave confidential patient files unattended in their hallways. Reporter Eric-Yvan Lemay videotaped himself going through some of the files and posted it on his newspaper's website. Police say they were investigating the possible theft of confidential documents.

Brickbat Archive

Comments

[Suthenboy]

He videotaped himself while committing a crime? Isnt that a crime also? Oh wait, it is only a crime to videotape someone committing a crime if the offender is an LEO. Ok, so this dude is only guilty of one crime. Two, if you count stupidity.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Managing editor George Kalogerakis said the newspaper checked with its lawyers to make sure it wasn't breaking any laws before running the story.

Media lawyer Mark Bantey noted that the accusation of "trafficking of confidential documents" is based on a provision adopted in 2009 meant to counter identity theft and has no bearing on Lemay's case.

Canuckistan writes vague laws easily misused by police, too? That's good to know. Also, since misery loves company, it's nice that Canadian authorities like malicious prosecutions as much as here in the United States of Awesome.

[Suthenboy]

I vaguely remember seeing an interview with a canadian author who was detained and questioned for hours about his political leanings, ideals, notions about society, and beliefs after he had written something that was politically incorrect by Canadian standards.

My assertion that this guy committed a crime was based on his actually looking at other peoples medical records without permission, which I assumed is a crime in Canada as it is here. If it isnt a crime there to invade someone's privacy in that manner, then what was the point of his doing the story in the first place?
Perhaps he should have just shown that the files were accessible without actually opening them and looking through them.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Generally, I don't think people want their medical records seen by anyone but their doctors. Even if it isn't criminal, I think there's a story in hospitals having poor records controls.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Canada does have their version of HIPAA, it's called, wait for it, wait for it.... HIPA.

I'm assuming that leaving confidential information lying around is in violation of HIPA. Most likely, the hospital, probably being very tied to the government because of single-payer, if not outright owned by the government, bitched to their pet politicians about being embarrassed. When in fact, the government should have been investigating them instead of the reporter.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

The law now requires an organization to have proper security in place to protect personal health information. This should include implementing proper document retention and destruction policies. On this point, it is very important to remember that all documents must be retained for any minimum periods prescribed by law.

Regardless, a journalist probably does not fall under the classic definition of a trustee of health information, therefore they should enjoy some protection from prosecution over the disclosure of information.

[Groovus Maximus]

I know HIPAA well. I'm amazed, astounded frankly that this idiot pulled what he did. This type of infraction causes licenses to be lost, and fines to be assessed. Careers have been destroyed over the mis-handling of confidential patient information.

Protecting vital patient information is "A" number one for all parties involved, and what really sucks for patients is how HIPAA makes it very difficult for patients to access their health info, though the magic of the Intertoobz and hospital websites makes it much easier for patients to access their H(ampersand)P's and other germane patient info.

Personally, I prefer the old-fashioned way of record keeping (even with my notoriously questionable handwriting. *I* can read it!) since it makes it more difficult for medical authorities to immediately access (read: get a warrant.)

With electronic medical records, situations like this are better averted some, but any hospital employee with limited or even global access can simply write down any patient info and use it for nefarious purposes (though in theory they should be able to identified and nabbed pretty quickly). Also with electronic patient info, fedgov and stategov can access that information pretty quickly (another bane of CMS, especially Medicaid) and simply leave me an E-Mail to the effect of "Oh, Dr. Groove, here's your E-warrant, and while we were here, we had a peek at some info. Just thought you'd like to know. Hugs and Kisses, The Fedgov and Stategov."

[R C Dean]

My assertion that this guy committed a crime was based on his actually looking at other peoples medical records without permission, which I assumed is a crime in Canada as it is here.

Actually, its not against the law in the US for someone to look at medical records that just happen to be laying around.

It is against the law for the provider to just leave them laying around, though.

[General Butt Naked]

Where's the goddamn cartoon at?

Some people have shit to do, like work, and can't sit around all day waiting to crap all over Chip Bok.

It's bad enough that my (non-existent)subscription dollars go to those hacks, but now they're not even on time! Postrel wouldn't of put up with this crap. Oh No! That lady had class and the cosmos loungin' around the Reason offices would do well to learn from her!

[invisible furry hand]

Just what I was thinking - is it really Friday if it doesn't end with the surrealism-lite of Friday Funnies? Perhaps Mr Payne and Chip-Bot have spat the dummy and refused to draw for ungrateful bastards like us

[Fist of Etiquette]

Picture this, if you will: A caricature of Barack Obama, with exaggerated Negroid features (it's okay; I'm a political cartoonist) in two panes. One, he is overseeing every aspect of his administration's machinations. The other, he is completely out of the loop on his staff's national security leaks. Also, Cash for Clunkers II is happening.

[Lord Humungus]

comedy gold!

[General Butt Naked]

I'd feel more reassured if everything was labeled as to avoid any confusion.

Are there labels? Does Obama have a tag on his lapel that says "OBAMA"?

[Randian]

You asked for it.

[General Butt Naked]

That is so terrible, I'm really impressed that Bok has reached the highest echelon of suckitude.

I bet Reason cut him the check for the cartoon and then promptly deleted the copy he sent; embarrassed for themselves, embarrassed for Bok.

[Groovus Maximus]

Could His Pestilency's ears get any bigger? Bok has been making those Dumbo pinnas bigger and bigger every week. Too bad they don't do that in real life so His Pestilency would just fly away. Maybe Fauxcahontas can give him a magic feather.

(I'm sure I have been flagged for racism by referencing Dumbo because of the magpies.)

[Fist of Etiquette]

POTUS, but it's relabeled ImPOTUS in the out of the loop pane.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

WHERE'S MY TWO DOLLARS?

[General Butt Naked]

How odd. I typed that message while riding an 80's style BMX bike.

Huh.

[sarcasmic]

Here ya go!

http://www.bokbluster.com/

[Randian]

For some reason, the Zuckerberg one really appeals to me.

[John]

What does it even mean? It doesn't make sense. Is Zuckerburg a child molester?

[General Butt Naked]

Wow, it doesn't get any worse than that.

I feel much better now.

[Ice Nine]

Wouldn't you know, he misspelled "twits".

[Groovus Maximus]

Much better that your Daily FAIL links.

[General Butt Naked]

Hey Fist, you rootin' for the Kings?

I've been liking them since the Pens got bounced, but Uncle Daddy was showing flashes of his younger self last night. I think they'll take it on Saturday.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Actually, I am. But only because I'm a winner and I need to associate with winners. I don't really hate New Jerksey. In fact, there are only three teams I dislike: The Cryers (obviously), the Habs (gawdawful frog fans), and the Caps (although it's more pity at this point).

[General Butt Naked]

I don't know. It always seemed like watching the Pens play the Devils was the most excruciating experience imaginable; so bad. It's like we'll go years without beating them, even when we're riding high and they can't buy a win. But, you're right, I don't really hate them. Not enough emotion to hate, more of a disdain.

Yeah, all of my Caps hate has evaporated in the last year. I feel bad for them and their fans for the spectacle of suck they've put on for the past year. And Ovechkin? Jeezus, is there a sadder douchebag on the planet?

[John]

They knocked the Bruins out of the playoffs. How is that a spectacle of suck? And didn't the Pens go down in the first round this year?

And as for Ovie, his gazzillion dollar contract and unbelievably hot tennis player g/f have caused him to be a little distracted. I would call him a lot of things. But considering his bank account and the women he is banging, sad douchebag would not be one of them.

[General Butt Naked]

How many huge sports stars had gazillion dollar contracts and many hot women and now are nothing.

Christ man, Ovechkin is the Jose Canseco of hockey.

[John]

Ovie had 35 goals this year. He is still one of the better scorers in the league. He is not "nothing". He has gone from being great to just really good. And that is because he doesn't work hard enough and isn't in as good of physical shape as he was three years ago.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I think Alex O's problem is he's gone off the coke. And, John, not everything is about the playoffs. There's a whole regular season of NHL hockey that's almost as long as the playoff season, and the Caps sucked through much of it, despite having talented players.

[John]

In the NHL it is all about the playoffs. The regular season might as well be the exhibition. Home ice means next to nothing. We are on the verge of seeing an 8th seed win the cup. How or why people even watch the regular season in the NHL is beyond me.

[John]

I would like to be an NHL fan. But I live in Washington. And I just am not masochistic enough to be a Caps fan. And pretty much every other fan base is absolutely loathsome.

[kigdafig]

How do these guys know all about that stuff?

http://www.Anon-Nation.tk