UPMC Patient Information Placed on Web, Removed and Placed on Web Again
Quick Facts
- Date: 4/12/07
- Institution: University of Pittsburg Medical Center
- Type of Incident: Unauthorized Disclosure
- Number Affected: 80
- Source: Pogo Was Right
- Abstract Source: Pittsburg Tribune-Review
Abstract
The University of Pittsburg Medical Center is working to determine how patient information was placed on a publicly accessable web page. The information on 80 UPMC patients contained names, Social Security numbers and radiology images. This information was first used in a 2002 medical symposium and placed on an internal web site where medical faculty share work and information. In 2005 this information ended up on the UPMC public radiology web site, but was quickly removed. However, for some reason this same information was once again posted to a public UPMC web site. While UPMC officials work to determine how this unauthorized disclosure came to be, all affected patients have been notified of the incident and UPMC has offered to pay for credit monitoring services with any of the major credit bureaus.
