The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) has sent letters to patients seen by one of its surgeons over the last three years, alerting them to the possibility that their personal health information may be at risk. Earlier this week, URMC notified 837 current and former surgery patients that one of the doctors who cared…
Medical data breaches most often caused by theft
Pamela Lewis Dolan reports: The best defense physician practices can take against data breaches might be to keep a more watchful eye for thieves. The Health Information Trust Alliance in August published an analysis of the 108 breaches that were reported to the Dept. of Health and Human Services from Sept. 23, 2009, to mid-July….
Health Clinics Often Fail to Keep Patient Data Private
Just to add to the global perspective, this recent news story from YLE describes a survey conducted in Finland: Private health clinics often fail to keep patients’ data secure, according to a recent survey by the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman. Meanwhile, the public sector was found to work harder to keep information private….
Agency director, Nebraska auditor dispute release of records
JoAnne Young reports: A state agency director is objecting to Nebraska Auditor Mike Foley’s request for personal health-care records of about 30,000 state employees and family members. “I will say the Department of Administrative Services and the governor are vehemently opposed to releasing confidential health care information on employees,” said DAS Director Carlos Castillo. Foley…
UK: Confiscated blacklist leaked back into market
Sometimes leaks keep leaking…. The Information Commissioner’s Office is investigating the leak of confidential files naming blacklisted construction workers, writes Andrew Hankinson. The files, which contain details of the trade union activity of 3,213 construction workers, were taken out of circulation in March 2009 when the ICO seized them from the Consulting Association. The CA…
KCI working to contain employee data breach
David Hendricks reports: San Antonio-based Kinetic Concepts Inc. was offering credit monitoring and other identity-theft prevention services to its U.S. employees Thursday after an inadvertent e-mail containing an attachment listing employees’ vital information was sent internally Wednesday, a KCI spokesman said Thursday. The e-mail’s attachment listed names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and…