X-Message-Number: 3742
Date: 25 Jan 95 14:04:14 EST
From: Michael Riskin <>
Subject: Medical Case Histories

  During some recent interchange on this forum between Dave Cosenza and
Mike Darwin, the issue of the relevance of personal and psychological data
on medical case histories came up.
  I believe that Mike Darwin is 100% correct in stating that any medical
record, to be of value for a multitude of purposes, must include personal
and psychological data. But I also believe that sidesteps the issue at
hand.
  The factor of confidentiality, and who is the holder of privilege, is
quite relevant and is a different issue. It is my current opinion that
disclosure of such information on a public forum like cryonet violates
commonly (and justified) accepted principles of patient confidentiality
in the medical and psychological community, unless a "consent to release"
has been executed.
  I vaguely recall, but cannot come up with the specifics, of a situation 
perhaps a year or so ago when the identity and details of a patients'
suspension was accidentally disclosed on cryonet. Does anyone remember
this case? I believe it was a patient suspended by either Alcor or BPI
and I seem to recall apologies being made at that time. Was that a
similiar or different set of circumstances to that which we currently are
discussing?
Michael Riskin




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