A follow-up to a breach reported on this blog in December 2010: The theft of a hospital laptop containing the details of more than 1500 patients could have been an inside job trust bosses have been told. The computer, stolen from Calderdale Royal Hospital, contained 1,569 patient records including names, dates of birth and addresses…
Author: Dissent
Ark. Senate panel backs prescription drug monitor
A Senate panel has backed legislation to create a statewide database for tracking some prescription drug purchases, despite concerns raised by opponents who say it’s an invasion of privacy. The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on Tuesday advanced the proposal by Democratic Sen. Percy Malone of Arkadelphia to create a prescription drug monitoring…
Supreme Court Case Could Jeopardize Medical Record Privacy
As is usually the case, EFF and I agree. Their recent press release on Sorrell v. IMS: The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) asked the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday to focus on the privacy issues at stake in a battle over the sale and data mining of medical records, urging justices to reverse a ruling that…
NY: Lawsuit alleges nurse divulged confidential information on STD
When I think about privacy breaches that can really do harm, I often think of information about mental health issues or sexually transmitted diseases. If the allegations in a NY lawsuit are proven, this is one of those nightmare cases where there are devastating effects of a willful breach by an insider. Jonathan Perlow reports:…
Ca: Medical records sent to roofer by mistake
Vancouver Island Health Authority is investigating an apparent privacy breach in which medical records were repeatedly faxed to a Langford roofer. Problems arose in replying to physicians’ faxed requests for procedures in the medical imaging department, said VIHA spokeswoman Suzanne Germain. “This particular medical clinic had their fax number in tiny font on the fax…
ID: Man upset after hospital sends private info out in the mail
Alana Brophy reports: Doctor appointment reminders are pretty common, but when one Boise man received his in the mail, he got a lot more than he wanted on the address line. “My phone number, my date of birth, my wife’s group insurance number and my part B number, which is my Social Security number all…