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Rep. Barton Seeks Probe In Theft of Computer
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"The NIH conducts vital biomedical research that depends on recruitment of volunteers who place trust in the NIH to protect the privacy of personal information," wrote Barton and Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), ranking minority member of the House investigations subcommittee, in a joint letter to the HHS inspector general, noting that the NIH is recruiting volunteers for more than 5,000 studies.
Cronin, who is office director for the U.S. House of Representatives historian, said he is "perturbed" by the delay in notifying him.
He said that Arai was doing "tremendous" work to see if MRI scans can help heart patients avoid surgery. At the same time, he said, what was taken was among the most personal of records.
"You have an actual image of your heart," he said. "You see heart damage, the vessels. These are moving images. It's like watching a movie. . . . It's really looking into your body."
Cronin, whose mother was a dietitian at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said he was raised with a deep respect for patient privacy and confidentiality. Data theft, he said, "takes some of your power away. I should decide who sees my records."
Images in the laptop are not linked to patients' names, Burklow said.
Several House Democrats last week began their own inquiry and have asked HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt to investigate.
