She Has THAT Disease?

Imagine you find out that your next door neighbor really is crazy. After all, she's on a number of medications for anxiety and depression, among others. Did you know so-and-so's little girl is on birth control, and John down the street really has THAT disease? You always knew Mrs. Smith was older than she said, and here's her birth date just to prove it! Oh, she has a drug problem too. And Tim fathered a little girl with that woman? Surely not!

How do you know all of this?

Well, your family physician just threw away about a dozen boxes in his dumpster in the back alley. Upon closer examination, you find record-upon-record in these boxes, detailing the names, addresses, social security numbers, birth control methods, medications, employment histories, insurance payments, and health problems of many or your neighbors, friends, and people in town.

A ridiculous thought, right? Would a physician do such a reckless thing with your privacy?

It's actually a true story in nearby Bloomington, Indiana. Reportedly, last October, this exact scenario of medical records spilling out of a trash bin behind Dr. J.B. O'Donnell's Bloomington office was found by a person passing by, who contacted the Herald-Times. The newspaper later published a story and notified officials about the matter.

According to the agreement filed this month in the Monroe Circuit Court, the physician will be fined a measly $1,250 by the state for dumping these sensitive medical records. He also agreed to post information about the security breach on his website for a mere 30 days.

Although state officials promised if he does this type of thing again that he will be in a lot more hot water and face much larger fines, does the current punishment really send a message of how serious this matter could have been?

Do you often wonder (or even ask) how your personal information is handled -- and disposed of -- when you're filling out an application or form? It doesn't necessarily need to be confined to medical records either. The example could be expanded to all businesses, organizations, and groups.

It's something to think about.

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This blog post by Chris Wathen was also published in his Linton, Indiana based Greene County Daily World blog entitled, "Riddle Me This".