From the Center for Democracy and Technology: As “Health 2.0” tools – such as healthcare apps on smartphones – become more common, it’s increasingly important for both developers and patients using these tools to learn how HIPAA protects patient medical data. Yet it is not entirely clear how HIPAA intersects with many emerging services that…
University of Iowa hospital to fire 3 workers, suspend 2 over breach of football players' data
More on a breach originally covered in an earlier blog post. Ryan J. Foley of Associated Press reports: The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics will fire three employees and suspend two others after an investigation confirmed they inappropriately breached the electronic medical records of hospitalized football players, a spokesman said Thursday. Read more on Newser.
Oak Ridge doctor defends cavity search in trial of man whom he paralyzed for exam
Jamie Satterfield reports: When it came to the extraordinary move to paralyze an Anderson County man to search his body for drugs, this doctor didn’t hesitate. “That exam was going to occur with or without his consent,” Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge Dr. Michael LaPaglia testified Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Now, Felix Booker’s…
Private University of Washington medical records sold at surplus store
Allen Schauffler reports that someone who found patient records in a piece of furniture he bought at the University of Washington surplus store turned the records over to the news station. The medical data is mostly X-ray and MRI imaging of spines, apparently in various stages of disarray. In my very cursory check of what’s…
NV: Conspirator in case involving University Medical Center patient data pleads guilty
In November 2009, the Las Vegas Sun revealed that someone at University Medical Center in Las Vegas was leaking patient information to personal injury lawyers and chiropractors. I’ve posted a number of updates to the case, and today’s Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the latest development. Doug McMurdo reports that Richard Charette pleaded guilty to having…
Ankle + Foot Center of Tampa Bay breach affecting 156,000 included Social Security Numbers as well as PHI
Now that I have additional information on a hacking incident involving the protected health information (PHI) of 156,000 patients of the Ankle + Foot Center of Tampa Bay, it is clear that this breach belongs on this site. I had previously noted it on PHIprivacy.net on January 29 after it appeared on HHS’s breach tool. At…