Letters sent out to patients about the national NHS records database contained confidential data about other people, the BBC has learned. A review has taken place after letters containing personal information were sent to the wrong patients in Cambridgeshire, BBC Look East found. The letters contain details about which surgery the person attends and their…
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4 accused of ID theft plot with 125 victims
Erica Blake reports: As part of their employment with various Toledo-area businesses, Robert L. Taylor, Adam R. Shank, and Dominique L. Lawson had access to clients’ names, birthdates, and Social Security numbers, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. But instead of keeping the information confidential, the three allegedly sold the identities – more than 125 of…
A dozen here, a dozen there…
I was reading an ID theft news story, and noted that one of those allegedly involved in the ring was an employee of an unnamed physician’s office. It’s not the kind of story that makes big news in terms of numbers, but represents a real risk for physicians and health care professionals with small offices,…
Kaiser official defends security practices for veterans health data
Alice Lipowicz reports: In the last several days, I have read a news article and a blog post that raise questions about Kaiser Permanente’s privacy and security policies regarding the medical records of its patients — including the records of about 450 veterans participating in a Kaiser/Veterans Affairs Department health data exchange pilot program in…
RSA: Identity Theft Challenges for Healthcare
Tony Kontzer reports: The phenomenon of medical identity theft is on the rise, and healthcare companies face more challenges in addressing the issue than their counterparts in the financial services industry, a panel of experts agreed Thursday at the RSA 2010 conference in San Francisco. The Federal Trade Commission estimates the number of American patients…
File-Sharing Software Potential Threat to Health Privacy – Study
A research report on file-sharing risks that compares risks for personal financial information to personal health information: Khaled El Emam, Emilio Neri, Elizabeth Jonker, Marina Sokolova, Liam Peyton, Angelica Neisa, Teresa Scassa. The inadvertent disclosure of personal health information through peer-to-peer file sharing programs. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 2010; 17: 148-158. ABSTRACT…