Boy, isn't this the truth.

It's particularly ironic in that a LOT of information isn't sensitive. I find it particularly frustrating, because I do a lot of work and presentations outside the VA that doesn't contain sensitive info. All those organizations require the information to be on thumb drives. I've found work-arounds, but I'm afraid to share them lest they get shut down.

IMHO - patient information security is now more important than patient health. They may die because the needed data isn't available to provide care, but the data is now secure. The tail now officially wags the dog.

Posted by oldcoastie on December 10, 2007 - 09:00 AM

The comment is not totally accurate. I am a VA employee currently loaned out to another govt. agency. My thumb drive works just fine as long as I am an Administor on the machine. If my logon on the machine belongs to the User group my thumb drive will not function and I need to find someone who can logon as an Administrator.

Posted by IMAGER on December 10, 2007 - 10:39 AM

I would like to receive the next publication.

Posted by booker on December 11, 2007 - 03:49 PM

If you have a government issued encrypted laptop, save your presentation to the laptop!! If you have access to the VA network, use a network share to save, create, present your power-points and whatever else. How about burning it to a CD-RW when you know you have to present something away from VA resources?

Let your IT staff know that you need to use your encrypted USB device on your PC and your government issued laptop – if they don’t know, they can’t make sure it works!

Learn to use the tools of the trade…which now happen to be PCs since the patient chart is electronic. I am sure your IT will offer alternatives and guidance that will allow your to do your work without compromising patient data and security.

Change is always difficult…remember the transition from dumb terminal to PC? How about paper chart to CPRS?

And please…don’t blame your IT department for decisions made at the top of the VA chain.

Posted by makeithappen on December 12, 2007 - 09:54 AM

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