i think part of the answer to your curiosity are IT layoffs. job market is shit right now. even though overwhelming majority of people would not work under these conditions if they could choose freely, when they have a mortgage and a family to take care of and they’ve been out of work for long enough the moral concerns and dignity can quickly be overriden by more pressing needs…

ianal but that alone is probably a serious breach of hipaa for which the doctor should be slammed

edit: i just realised that article is not from the u. s. and a.