How privacy's past may shape its future.

An account of privacy's evolutionary roots may hold lessons for policies in the digital age.

La protección al consumidor en las webs de juego online de los operadores con licencia en España / Consumer protection on online gambling websites hosted by licensed operators in Spain

La evolución del sector del juego online en España muestra una tendencia alcista desde el inicio del mercado regulado. Al margen de su impacto económico, es preciso tomar en consideración los aspectos sociales, de orden público y de salud asociados a esta actividad recreativa. Con el fin de promocionar actitudes de juego moderado, no compulsivo y responsable, en el artículo 8 de la Ley 13/2011, de 27 de mayo, de regulación del juego, se establece la obligatoriedad de desarrollar esta actividad lúdica desde una política integral de responsabilidad social corporativa que contemple acciones preventivas, de sensibilización, intervención y control, así como medidas para paliar los efectos negativos producidos. En este contexto, el objetivo general de esta investigación reside en analizar la política de protección al consumidor en las webs de juego responsable de los operadores de juego online con licencia en nuestro país. De la muestra inicial de 45 operadores que dispone, al menos, de un sitio web que ofrece juego online, 40 presentan una página web operativa. Las variables objeto de estudio se configuran en torno a los dos componentes principales de cualquier programa de prevención de adicciones (1) Información y sensibilización; (2) Promoción de medidas preventivas específicas. Se observa que, en líneas generales, los operadores de juego online cumplen con el deber de información sobre el juego con control, aunque se precisan mejoras que afectan tanto al fondo como a la forma de dichos mensajes

Since market regulation was first implemented, the online gambling sector in Spain has exhibited a significant upward trend. In addition to its financial impact, the social, public well-being and health implications of this leisure activity should also be taken into account. In order to foster moderate, non-compulsive and responsible attitudes towards gambling, Article 8 of the 2011 law regulating the sector requires that this leisure activity be carried out in line with a coherent policy of corporate social responsibility that encompasses prevention, awareness-raising, intervention and oversight measures, as well as strategies to deal with any negative consequences of such gambling. Against this backdrop, the overall purpose of our study is to explore the consumer protection policies posted on online gambling websites hosted by licensed operators in Spain. Of the 45 operators detected in our initial research sample, each hosting at least one online gambling website, 40 run an operational web page. The research methodology used here is content analysis. The variables explored relate to the two main dimensions of any addiction prevention program: (1) information and awareness-raising, and (2) the promotion of specific prevention measures. In general terms, real compliance with basic prevention criteria requires improvements both in terms of the content and form of these communications

Setting the Record Straight: Supreme Court Curtails TMB for Over-Sanctioning Physician.

Eight years ago, when he experienced a rare patient death, McAllen family physician Ruben Aleman, MD, signed the death certificate the way Texas physicians had been doing it for years, and the only way he knew how: using pen and paper. That resulted in the Texas Medical Board (TMB) not only coming after him, but accusing him of "unprofessional or dishonorable conduct that is likely to deceive or defraud the public" - words found in the state Medical Practice Act. The Texas Supreme Court recently decided that was an overreach for a physician who simply hadn't signed up on the state's electronic death registration system, which at the time was relatively new.

Nonstandard do-not-resuscitate orders.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Tattoos and medallions are examples of nonstandard do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders that some people use to convey end-of-life wishes. These DNR orders are neither universally accepted nor understood for reasons discussed within this manuscript. RECENT FINDINGS: Studies show both providers and patients confuse the meaning and implication of DNR orders. In the United States, out-of-hospital DNR orders are legislated at the state level. Most states standardized out-of-hospital DNR orders so caregivers can immediately recognize and accept the order and act on its behalf. These out-of-hospital orders are complicated by the need to be printed on paper that does not always accompany the individual. Oregon created an online system whereby individuals recorded their end-of-life wishes that medical personnel can access with an Internet connection. This system improved communication of end-of-life wishes in patients who selected comfort care only. SUMMARY: To improve conveyance of an individual's wishes for end-of-life care, the authors discuss nationwide adoption of Oregon's online registry where a person's account could comprehensively document end-of-life wishes, be universally available in all healthcare institutions, and be searchable by common patient identifiers. Facial recognition software could identify unconscious patients who present without identification.

Copyright Law Basics for the Nursing Professional: Part 1: Using the Work of Others.

This article covers the basics of Copyright Law as applicable to the use of protected resources and the sharing of information by nurse professionals. It explores frequently cited justifications for copyright violation, including the doctrine of Fair Use and the Technology and Copyright Harmonization Act. It also discusses why those justifications may or may not apply to the nurse professional who teaches in a clinical setting or at a conference.(See CE Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPD/A2).

A curious jumble: the Canadian approach to online consumer health information.

As part of a larger e-health strategy, Canadian governments have invested millions in online health information services for the lay public. These services are intended to reduce demands on the primary health care system by encouraging greater individual responsibility for health and are often promoted using the language of personal empowerment. In this paper, we describe how lay searchers generally look for online health information and discuss the disempowering challenges they are likely to face in (a) locating Canadian government-sponsored health information sites and (b) finding useful information on these sites to address everyday health concerns. We conclude with several recommendations for policy changes.

Copyright law and distance nursing education.

The authors present essential information regarding the copyright law and online education. This information provides the reader specific aids to assist in designing and implementing distance education courses within the bounds of the Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act and fair use guidelines. From their research, the authors, who are distance education experts, offer a wide array of educational and legal data to inform nurse educators.

Proposed federal legislation jeopardizes patient privacy.

In the last year there has been a move to enact federal legislation concerning private health-care information. This move has been fueled by a growing trend toward the computerization and electronic transmission of health-care information. These advances in technology call for appropriate new protections of patients' privacy. Unfortunately, the proposed legislation has not received adequate attention in the medical community. Physicians and patients in general are not aware of the legislation and have not been engaged in shaping its contents. In its current form, the legislation would seriously undermine traditional protections of confidentiality that are ensured by physicians. The flaws of the proposed legislation are examined in this article.