Heartbreaking video tour with the ambulance drivers of Liberia.

From The New York Times, "Some ambulance workers in Monrovia have been infected with Ebola, while others have been attacked for not getting to patients in time. A week on the road as Liberia’s capital dips deeper into crisis."

Does Your Nurse Purchase Pornography? When Patients Access the Same "Private" Data as Care Providers...

As a caregiver, do you feel it's you're patients' right to know you're spending habits, medical history, or even your internet browsing habits?

While many in the profession whistle past the privacy graveyard and seem to almost champion the idea of hospitals such as "Carolinas HealthCare System" using data vendors like Acxiom or LexisNexis to provide risk profiles based on a patient's credit card purchases and loyalty program habits, it's important to know that the same data may be available to be packaged as a way for consumers to make decisions about their healthcare providers.

Data is for sale, that's a fact. While a few enthusiastic "big data" analysts may see this as a boon for the bottom line of a hospital, it's important for everyone to remember that the data brokers are not exclusive agents and the same data that is available for sale to the largest healthcare providers is also available to well-funded young entrepreneurs who feel it's their duty to build apps that let you take a deeper look into the private lives of the doctors and nurses they hire.

The editors of NVN have actually just (June 25, 2014) participated in a conference call with the founders of a stealth start-up looking for angel investors.

While the management teams' experience is very compelling (it's assembled insiders with hands-on experience at executive levels of some of the largest data vendors, several "lead gen" entrepreneurs skilled in monetizing private data via new media website and app publishing schemes, a team of accomplished app developers, and several "big data" project managers. It was actually their philosophical goal and quirky 'real life' examples that seemed to stun and intrigue the other potential investors on the call...

While they didn't focus exclusively on healthcare (they seem to have an insatiable desire to expose the private data of teachers and politicians as well), I couldn't help but note a few specifics especially when they began touting their potential ability to expose browsing habits and internet search histories:

"Does your caregiver purchase media similar to that of admitted marijuana or cocaine users?"

"Is the home healthcare nurse you've hired a Christian or a Scientologist?"

"What types of websites does your doctor or nurse visit frequently?"

Was Veronica Poss Fired from Fallbrook Hospital for Speaking up at a Shareholder Meeting?

Nashville Nurses Sue after Forced Strip Searches and Drug Tests

Attorney J. Miranda Belote has been quoted as saying, "They wouldn't wish this on their worst enemy. They are embarrassed. They are humiliated ... [after being asked to remove all clothing one supervisor stood] where she was able to view her entire backside and the other supervisor stood directly in front of her."

One nurse responded, "This is humiliating, probably illegal, and just plain wrong."

"They felt like they didn't have an option to say no. They were told that if they did not consent to the drug screen that they would be terminated," Belote said.


WSMV Channel 4

What is a "Robo Nurse" and Will it Impact Nursing and Home Health Aide Jobs in the Near Future?

That power cord may prove problematic!

Everyone agrees that the aging population will require a lot of care and a large Labor Force (interesting notes by Slate's Business and Economics correspondent here).