CBS reports: Massachusetts General Hospital plans to begin questioning all patients about their use of alcohol and illegal drugs starting this fall, even if they are at MGH for a totally unrelated issue. Dr. Sarah Wakeman, director of substance abuse disorders at Mass. General, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Carl Stevens the purpose is to make…
Month: July 2014
Indiana storing blood & DNA of 2 million children without parents' consent
It’s been an issue in Minnesota for years, but now WTHR alerts the public that Indiana also stores newborns’ blood and DNA without parental consent. Bob Segall reports: As word of an Eyewitness News investigation spreads through Holliday Park, parents admit they are surprised. “You’re kidding, right? I had no idea,” said Ramon Moore, playing…
Computer equipment stolen in overnight break-in at Lincoln surgery
CJHall_LE reports: Detectives are investigating an overnight burglary at a GP surgery in uphill Lincoln, where computer equipment was stolen. It happened at the Cliff House Medical Practice, near to the Museum of Lincolnshire Life. Read more on Lincolnshire Echo. It’s not clear from the report whether any patient info.
Minneapolis VA reports Shakopee clinic breach of privacy
According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, an informational letter regarding the opening of the Minneapolis VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Shakopee was recently mailed to 500 veterans with the name and address of a different veteran inadvertently duplexed, or printed, onto the back side of the letter. The Minneapolis VA…
UK: School near Wrexham alerts parents as pupil info lost
Charlie Crossdale reports: Data containing details on children who have attended a primary school over the past decade has been lost. Ysgol Sant Dunawd in Bangor-on-Dee near Wrexham is appealing to parents of pupils, past and present, to get in touch over the potential loss of data, after a backup device containing the Schools’ Information…
Mandatory data breach laws back on Australian agenda
Richard Chirgwin reports: Australia’s on-again, off-again debate about data breach notification laws is on again, courtesy of a report into financial system regulation, at least until the government cans the idea (again). Register readers will recall that a Privacy Alerts bill was proposed by the previous government before the 2013 election, then delayed, re-introduced in March, and abandoned in…