The report says unique identifiers would reduce errors and protect privacy, but privacy watchdogs are not convinced. Read the story in AMNews The report on which the article is based is: “Identity Crisis: An Examination of the Costs and Benefits of a Unique Patient Identifier for the U.S. Health Care System,” RAND Health, October, 2008.
Category: Health Data
CO: Identity theft traced back to hospital bill
The Children’s Hospital and a third-party billing contractor will warn as many as 1,000 families that their credit card information may have been compromised by a former employee. Aurora-based Revenue Enterprises recently terminated an employee that handled billing for The Children’s Hospital after it was discovered she used a family’s credit card to pay for…
NC agency sells cabinet containing personal info
The Department of Health and Human Services says a man who bought a filing cabinet from the state agency got something extra: dozens of client files. Agency spokesman Mark Van Sciver told the News & Observer of Raleigh the buyer found 57 files in the file cabinet purchased last month from the Caswell Developmental Center,…
UK: Patient notes – second slip-up
Alison Dayani reports: CONFIDENTIAL patient notes have been posted out to random strangers in a blunder by Birmingham mental health workers. An inquiry is under way into how the error happened – disclosing private details including medical history, National Health Service numbers, dates of birth and other information that could lead to identity fraud. Blunders…
WA: Bags Of Personal Information Found Outside Doctors' Offices
David Quinlan reports: […] In the course of our four month investigation, we uncovered bags full of private patient information recklessly discarded in the trash right outside pharmacies and doctor’s offices. We even found syringes, urine samples, social security numbers and someone’s STD test results. Read more on KIRO 7
TX: Wanted man found with stolen personal information
Lacie Morrison reports: While serving warrants on a Mineral Wells resident, law enforcement officers recently recovered identifying information on more than 200 people apparently stolen from a medical records storage facility. […] The paperwork that was discovered with him, however, added an additional charge to the list. According to Mercer, the papers contained information on…