Fed up with accusations one of its hospitals has engaged in Medicare fraud and operational problems, a Texas hospital has gotten a judge to issue an order which will bare the identity of a persistent blogger critic. Nashville-based Essent Healthcare is forcing the Internet service provider hosting blog "The-Paris-site [1]" to cough up the blog owner's name, not to mention the identities of several other people who posted critical follow-on comments. Essent says the blog has been lobbing unfair criticisms at its Paris Regional Medical Center since March 2005. It claims some of the posts are defamatory, and others disclose protected patient health information. The anonymous blogger has disputed this, arguing that no patient health information was disclosed, and that the comments are largely "feedback" which should be openly discussed.
To find out more about the suit:
- read this Computerworld piece [2]
Related Article:
Doctor's blog kills malpractice defense. Report [3]
Links:
[1] http://www.the-paris-site.blogspot.com/
[2] http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9026298&pageNumber=1
[3] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/doctor-s-blog-kills-malpractice-defense/2007-05-31