Date: 16 Apr 92 20:38:51 EDT
From: Gordon Meyer <72307.1502@COMPUSERVE.COM>
Subject: File 3--Medical Data Base (WSJ)

     IBM LINK TO PHYSICIAN COMPUTER NETWORK RAISES SOME QUESTIONS
          (paraphrased from th Wall Street Journal, 2/27/92)

Unknown to the patients, every week or two a company dials into
physicians' PCs and fishes out all their confidential files.  With
plans to reach 15,000 physicians within the next four years, the
company, Physician Computer Network Inc., thinks its swelling database
of patient records could become a commercial treasure.  Fears about
the sale of medical records are  causing some physicians and
pharmacists to resist the collectors' surveillance efforts.  Others
are pushing for legislation, noting that privacy law covers videotape
rentals and cable-TV selections, but not most medical records.
Physicians Computer Network has an impressive list of investors.
Among them is IBM, which owns a 23% stake.  Another holder, with 4.7%
stake, is Macmillan Inc., part of the Maxwell electronic-information
conglomerate.

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