Britney’s Privacy

“There’s a difference between being detained involuntarily for psychological treatment and being forced to endure Dr. Phil involuntarily”.
- Dr Jeffrey Sugar as quoted in today’s AP story

I write about Britney Spears with great reluctance. For the record, there is almost nothing about the 24/7 coverage of her life that merits that kind of mainstream news scrutiny she has received over the past year.

But…the apparent invasion of Ms. Spears’ medical privacy by Dr. Phil McGraw (”Dr. Phil”) raises important public issues, particularly in the midst of a national debate about health care reform.

Here is my understanding of the medical privacy issues. Ms. Spears was hospitalized, Dr. McGraw was invited to her hospital room by family members but not by Ms. Spears, and subsequently Dr. McGraw spoke publicly about her medical condition.

Essentially, celebrity media swept into Ms. Spears hospital room and reported on her condition. Despite whatever voyeuristic tendencies the public has about her medical condition, the public distaste at the blatant disregard for medical privacy combined with what appeared to be exploitation of a medical crisis created a swift backlash for Dr. McGraw.

The public has always cared a great deal about privacy. Polls consistently show that medical privacy concerns remain strong, and consumer privacy is not far behind. Even when the public softens on privacy in the wake of other security concerns like global terrorism, they are still firmly attached to the concept of medical privacy.

As the Presidential candidate debates about healthcare reform continue, the issue of medical privacy is certain to be amplified. Some of the candidates have already proposed the use of electronic medical records, a move that is certain to expand potential for privacy breaches. Consumers are already demanding better use of text messaging, email communication, and online scheduling as a part of their interaction with health care providers.

It’s estimated that about a quarter of a million people each year are victims of medical identity theft. George Clooney made headlines in 2007 when hospital workers peeked at his file. This week a new California law took effect that requires residents to be informed of medical privacy breaches - joining only a few other states with similar requirements.

Ms. Spears seems to be the star of her own reality show, whether by force or design. Whatever loose set of standards we all tolerate related to celebrity media, the images of her inside an ambulance and the public reports by unwelcome hospital visitor Dr. McGraw raised this debacle to a new level of distaste. The public forgives many celebrity digressions, but the invasion of medical privacy is a firmly held value that Dr. McGraw met head on this week.