A hacker’s theft of millions of Virginia’s most sensitive prescription drug records isn’t slowing Democratic Sen. Mark Warner’s push for electronic medical records.
The former governor convened a conference in Richmond Monday about the medical and cost-saving benefits of digitizing hundreds of millions of patient records nationally.
“We’ve been talking about this subject, policymakers have, for decades: how can we make sure that we can bring the power of information technology to our health care system,” Warner told reporters at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Warner, who made a fortune as an early investor in cell phones and information technology, was among the earliest apostles of e-medical records. The federal economic stimulus package that Warner supported provides nearly $20 billion to begin the process of digitizing medical records and sharing them over secure networks.
Having such data instantly available to doctors anywhere would eliminate the need for expensive tests patients have already had and allow doctors to make smarter, faster treatment decisions, advocates say.
“Every Virginian has been frustrated when you go to the hospital and you get asked exactly the same question 10 different times in the first few hours you’re there,” Warner said before addressing the conference of several hundred medical professionals, hospital and health care interests and educators.
Just 2 1/2 weeks earlier, a hacker broke into what the Virginia Department of Health Professions believed was a secure computer database for the Prescription Monitoring Program.
The hacker accessed millions of individual prescription records about such powerful and closely controlled drugs as Oxycodone, morphine, Vicodin and Valium. The intruder also left a taunting note on the DHP Web site demanding a $10 million ransom for the return of the data. State officials said the information was fully backed up and never lost. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said there will be no payments.
The FBI and Virginia State Police…