The private information of several patients may have been breached after the theft of a laptop computer from a hospital in Burnaby, B.C. David Plug of the Fraser Health Authority says the laptop contained confidential patient information including the birth dates and test results of patients who visited the Pulmonary Function Lab at Burnaby General…
Category: Health Data
HHS web site update reveals another new breach
In its most recent update, HHS added seven reports to its site. Interestingly, we already knew something about six of the incidents via notices on the entities’ web sites or media coverage, which I attribute to HITECH’s new requirements. Entities realize that they have to disclose and are getting the information out more promptly and…
Shark Bite Victim Says Hospital Intruded
Purna Nemani reports: A shark-bite victim claims a Honolulu hospital violated his privacy by photographing and posting on the Internet a picture of his “gaping leg wound,” without his consent, “while he was completely helpless, undraped, and in a life-threatening and traumatic shock condition.” Todd Murashige claims The Queen’s Medical Center violated HIPAA protections and…
OH: Resident reports theft of laptop computer to UA police
From the Upper Arlington Police Beat: A laptop computer containing personal information and confidential medical records was reported lost and presumed stolen after its owner accidentally left it at a business on the 3200 block of Tremont Road on Aug. 25, according to Upper Arlington police reports. The owner has contacted the credit bureau about…
Triplets' Parents Sue Hospital & Media
Dan McCue reports on a case in Illinois: Surrogate parents of newborn triplets claim a hospital and major media outlets violated medical privacy laws and subjected them to “humiliation, embarrassment and emotional distress” by publishing photos and stories about their newborns. The parents say they never gave Advocate Christ Medical Center permission to release personal…
Scottish ministers told to “get a grip” on data security
Ben Borland of the Express reports on previously undisclosed breaches involving PII and/or PHI, but I note that BBC provides slightly different coverage. I’ve indicated the BBC’s statements in italics, below. More than 200 electronic items were stolen or lost in the first six months of the year, including PCs, laptops, phones and Blackberries. The…