Privacy in the Information Age Part III: Medical and Genetic Privacy
July 14, 2001
The issue of handling personal medical and genetic data casts the privacy debate into sharp relief. Using information technology to create accurate, comprehensive databases of individual medical and genetic profiles holds the promise of dramatically improved patient care and reduction of medical errors. At the same time, the ability to aggregate and distribute data rapidly and inexpensively has raised public concern about how personal medical and genetic data are utilized and shared. Balancing the competing requirements of data access and privacy protection is a perennial issue for Congress.
Senator Jay Rockefeller and Senator Bill
Frist lead a panel discussion with four experts on medical privacy.  Written Transcript of the session
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Featured Speakers: |
Kari Stefansson President, Chairman & CEO, deCODE genetics -- the innovative American firm that is compiling the Icelandic Healthcare Database, which will contain medical, genetic, and genealogical profiles of nearly every citizen of Iceland. |
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George Lundberg Editor in Chief, Medscape -- the world's leading Internet site for medical information. Dubbed "the Healthcare Internet's Medicine Man," he is a pioneer of the medical Internet. |
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Latanya Sweeney, Prof. of Computer Science & Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University -- a computer scientist and data privacy expert, she has researched and written extensively on protecting personal medical information. |
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Janlori Goldman, Director, Health Privacy Project at Georgetown University -- an expert in health privacy, she leads an influential policy group dedicated to raising public awareness of health care privacy, access, and quality issues. |
Led by U.S. Senators Jay Rockefeller and Bill Frist, the Forum advocates no particular position or policy prescription. Our sole purpose is to inform. Our briefings are nonpartisan, balanced, and open to the public and the media.
