(no subject)

[electricland]

AMA Voices "Concern" Over Justice Department Seeking Medical Records

By Peggy Peck

CHICAGO (Reuters Health) Jun 15 - The American Medical Association voted to express concerns to the White House and the Department of Justice about subpoenaing medical records in the court actions involving the procedure commonly called partial birth abortion.

Way to perpetuate the inflammatory language there, Reuters. And, AMA: ya THINK?

Comments

[gurudata.livejournal.com]

Hiho,

Just so you know, the link asks for a username and password.

Cu,
Andrew

Oops -- was afraid of that.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Here's the whole thing:

The American Medical Association voted to express concerns to the White House and the Department of Justice about subpoenaing medical records in the court actions involving the procedure commonly called partial birth abortion.

The organization also voted to reaffirm AMA policy supporting the right to privacy in termination of pregnancy.

Currently there are three legal challenges to the ban on intact dilatation and evacuation - commonly known as partial birth abortion - signed by President Bush last year. Court cases are now underway in New York City, San Francisco, and Lincoln, Nebraska. As part of its evidence gathering, the Justice Department issued subpoenas seeking to determine the exact number of intact dilatation and evacuation procedures performed in those three jurisdictions.

The privacy issue engendered a heated and emotional debate in the AMA House of Delegates. Dr. Leroy Sprang, a Skokie, Illinois obstetrician/gynecologist who testified in the Lincoln case, argued that the Federal subpoenas did not violate patient privacy since the individual patient identifiers were removed.

Dr. William Golden, from Little Rock, Arkansas argued that the AMA should not back down from positions "because it might offend someone." Dr. Golden, who is a delegate from the American College of Physicians, said he was concerned that the House was making too many decisions based on concerns about tort reform. "The first issue should be patients and we should not compromise the confidentiality of the doctor-patient records because of the notion that it might be offend someone," he said.

Asked about Dr. Golden's statement that the AMA was tailoring actions to avoid offending the Bush administration, Dr. J. Edward Hill, president-elect of the AMA, told Reuters Health that the AMA "makes decisions based on the issues, not on whether or not we will offend either party." He said the AMA will contact the administration "right away" but said he wasn't sure if the AMA would seek a meeting with representatives of the White House and the Justice Department or if it will send a written communication.