An editorial in the Star Phoenix begins: The biggest threat to the security of Canadians’ personal information, especially their medical records, isn’t from computer hackers, it would seem, but from those within the bureaucracy who access and share these records for personal or political purposes. And until governments begin to treat these grievous abuses as…
Category: Health Data
AU: Doctors caught revealing secret patient information in Facebook posts
Helen Pow reports: Doctors have been disclosing sensitive medical information – and even mocking patients – on Facebook. The NSW Medical Board has cautioned one doctor for making “flippant and derogatory” comments, and warned others to “think twice” before disclosing patient details on social networking sites. Doctors are being warned the online conversations they think…
IN: St. Vincent Hospital reports stolen laptop
The Indy Channel reports: St. Vincent Hospital has notified 1,200 patients their personal information was on a laptop stolen from an employee’s home. The computer, containing Social Security numbers and personal health information, was taken during a burglary at a worker’s home on July 25, hospital officials said in a news release Friday night. Read…
NZ: Hundreds of patient records stolen
Kate Newton reports: Hundreds of patients’ medical records were stolen from Wellington Hospital by an employee and left languishing in a Porirua house for six years. Six boxes containing about 800 documents, mainly patients’ referrals and test results, were taken from the hospital by medical records clerk Taofiga “Junior” Sa. The patients whose files were…
Backup with sensitive HIV information stolen — from a car
Grace Jang of KTVA reports that the HIV status of thousands of Alaskans is likely in the hands of a thief: Anchorage Police, along with the Alaskan Aids Assistance Association known as the Four A’s, say the sensitive information was taken earlier this month, but because the investigation is still very active, a lot of…
A publicized medical privacy breach can have chilling effects
The other day, I reported a horrific privacy breach that involved a veterans’ very sensitive mental health information being provided to a minister. The breach seemed politically motivated as the veteran had been critical of the government. Such breaches can have a very chilling effect. Michael Staples reports: Revelations that confidential medical and financial information…