The Department of Veterans Affairs has posted its Monthly Report to Congress on Data Incidents for August 2010. As in the past, there are a number of mis-mailed prescriptions or incidents involving one patient being sent another patient’s medication. Most incidents during this period were of low to moderate risk to patients, and…
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Could Chat Transcripts Be Security Minefields?
I’ve linked to a number of Evan Schuman’s wonderful articles from databreaches.net, but this article is particularly relevant to this site. Evan writes: When Rite-Aid and Walgreens both announced pharmacist chat programs last month, they were the latest chains to try and use chat to get closer to their customers. But, ironically, the preservation of chat…
Editorial: Drug database access needs tight controls
I recently noted that sheriffs in North Carolina want access to a database containing records of those taking painkillers. Here’s an editorial from a NC paper, the News & Observer: Policing abuse is a growing challenge requiring the cooperation of the medical community and law enforcement, with the state establishing reasonable parameters that will ensure…
Second SunBridge Healthcare Corp data breach in as many months
SunBridge Healthcare Corporation has experienced another theft involving protected health information. On August 25, the company posted a press release to its site indicating that a BlackBerry containing unencrypted information about current and former residents and patients from eight Georgia nursing and rehabilitation centers was stolen from an employee’s desk on June 26, 2010. The…
Another data breach involving NYU School of Medicine?
The NYU School of Medicine Aging and Dementia Clinical Research Center informed HHS last week about a data breach that reportedly occurred on or about April 3 when a portable electronic device containing protected health information on 1,200 patients was lost. I cannot find any information on their site about this incident at this time…
AHIMA Files Response to HHS Privacy Rules
Press release from AHIMA: “While AHIMA continues to applaud federal government support for the ideal of protecting patients’ health information rights, the proposed rule-making for HIPAA privacy, security and enforcement by HHS has a number of requirements that we do not believe the industry is ready to undertake; especially as it gears up for Meaningful…