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Electronic databases and privacy protection: issues for a free society.
1College of Allied Health Professions, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
Topics in Health Information Management
|July 7, 1993
Summary
Efficient health insurance claims processing offers benefits to subscribers and insurers. However, these systems pose privacy risks, necessitating robust safeguards in their design and implementation.
Area of Science:
- Health Informatics
- Computer Science
- Societal Impact of Technology
Background:
- Health insurance claims processing and remittance programs face challenges in efficiency and cost.
- Current systems involve significant paperwork burdens for both subscribers and health insurers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential benefits of efficiently managed health insurance programs.
- To identify the risks and potential for abuse associated with the underlying computer/telecommunications systems and databases.
- To advocate for the development of safeguards for individual privacy and democratic society.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing health insurance claims processing and remittance systems.
- Evaluation of computer/telecommunications systems and database technologies.
- Review of potential privacy and societal risks.
Main Results:
- Efficiently managed programs can reduce costs and paperwork, benefiting subscribers and insurers.
- The technology enabling these efficiencies also presents significant potential for danger and abuse.
- Proactive recognition of risks is crucial for developing effective safeguards.
Conclusions:
- Implementing advanced computer systems for health insurance can yield substantial benefits.
- Crucial to acknowledge and address the inherent risks to privacy and democratic principles.
- Safeguards must be integrated into system design to mitigate potential dangers and abuses.