Comparing Two Forms - Dental and Nutrition Assessment

In my previous blog I mentioned two forms that I'll explore in more detail.

The first, a dental medical history form (that I scanned) is one of several paper based forms available to dentists in Wisconsin through the Wisconsin Dental Association. I very willingly complete this form because I want my dentist and my dental hygienist to be fully aware of my medical history.


The second form, commonly referred to as "DETERMINE", is used to assess nutritional risks of older Americans who participate in the Congregate Meals Program funded by the Administration on Aging (AoA). The assessment process, in Wisconsin, utilizes information stored in twenty five (Wisconsin defined data fields) in electronic records stored in data centers located outside Wisconsin.

While I very willingly complete the dental medical history, it is only with a great deal of reluctance that I complete the nutritional risk form. For nearly a year and half, I have raised my concerns with local, state, and federal agencies as well as with the vendor corporation that my privacy rights (and those of other older Americans) have been systemically violated by the process. I have also documented, on my Web site, that the Social Assistance Management System (SAMS) has obvious security vulnerabilities.

I believe that my concerns have been dismissed based upon false assumptions regarding my motivation in identifying the problems. The HIPAA Privacy Officer has told Wisconsin's chief security officer to disregard my concerns by saying: "... Repeated claims to that effect can only serve to falsely alarm senior citizens and should be vigorously denied." Staff in DHS have followed the privacy officer's advice and consistently vigorously deny my assertions that problems exist and that a risk assessment should be conducted.