Tim Lockette reports: Officials at Regional Medical Center [in Anniston, Alabama] have completed their first look into possible violations of patient privacy at the hospital. But so far, the results of that investigation are, well, private. “This is a peer review document, and as such it is not something we can release to the public,”…
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Scientists work to keep hackers out of implanted medical devices
John Sutter reports: Nathanael Paul likes the convenience of the insulin pump that regulates his diabetes. It communicates with other gadgets wirelessly and adjusts his blood sugar levels automatically. But, a few years ago, the computer scientist started to worry about the security of this setup. What if someone hacked into that system and sent…
Iowa Woman Says Hospital Chaplain Violated Her Privacy
When you confess something to a pastor, you assume it will be kept confidential. But an Iowa woman says that’s not what happened at the University of Iowa hospitals in Iowa City. Dayna Leichty’s son was being treated at the hospital. At one point, Dayna told a chaplain that she was pregnant. That information ended…
UK: Controversial medical records database suspended
Kate Devlin reports: The project triggered anger when it was revealed that information could have been logged on the system without patients’ knowledge. The British Medical Association (BMA) warned that many people were not even aware of the scheme, let alone the fact that they could ‘opt out’. In some cases letters informing patients of…
Three recently reported breaches
The following incidents have been added to HHS’s web site of reported breaches involving unsecured PHI: University of Pittsburgh Student Health Center State: Pennsylvania Approx. # of Individuals Affected: 8,000 Date of Breach: 3/11/10 Type of Breach: Theft, Loss Location of Breached Information: Paper Records Laboratory Corporation of America/US LABS/Dianon Systems, Inc. State: Arizona Approx….
VA cops investigated for privacy violation
William R. Levesque reports: The door was supposed to be locked. It wasn’t. Two officers patrolling the Bay Pines VA Medical Center stepped inside. They found a stack of papers that should have been locked away. Some contained private patient information — Social Security numbers, treatment information, patient addresses. To figure out who could be…