NC: Detailed medical records turn up online

[kirniki <kirniki () gmail com>]

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=771466

Alice Fisk searched Google hoping to find condolence messages written
on memorial sites for her daughter, who died in September from
complications of diabetes.
        
Instead of condolences, Fisk found a medical report about her
daughter's visit to a bone doctor.

"I was astonished," said Fisk, who lives in Schaghticoke. "What a
violation of a right of privacy to have someone's medical report
online."

Records of more than 1,000 patient visits to Northeast Orthopaedics, a
large Albany surgical practice on Everett Road, have been posted on
the Internet, a violation of patient privacy laws.

Alan Okun, practice administrator, said the North Carolina company
that transcribes dictation for the doctors had a security lapse. The
problem was discovered earlier this week and the company, MRecord,
removed the records, he said.

However, as of this evening, Google's archiving system had kept copies
that could still be discovered by a 70-year-old retired legal
secretary like Fisk, and anyone else.

[..]
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