Adam Levine reports:
The Department of Veterans Affairs has suspended a contractor for failing to follow the department’s policies for securing sensitive data about patients, the department said.
A routine inspection revealed that a transcription contractor, with access to information including name, Social Security number and diagnosis, was using computers that did not follow guidelines for protecting the data.
[…]
The company, unidentified but described by VA spokesman Phil Budahn as handling a regional contract, was hired to transcribe recordings made by doctors and other health professionals during examinations and surgeries for inclusion in patient records.
“There is no evidence that any patient information was disclosed as a result of the violation,” the VA said.
The contractor in question has been suspended from handling such services until it is in compliance with the VA guidelines, Budahn said.
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