A former Mayo Clinic employee wrongly accessed more than 1,600 patient health records, including medical images, the Star Tribune reported on Oct. 6. The worker did not misuse any of the information.
In a statement issued earlier this week obtained by the news outlet, the Rochester, Minnesota, health system said a worker looked at “data elements,” including patient names, demographics, birth dates, medical record numbers, clinical notes, and some medical images. It did not specify when the incident occurred.
Mayo is notifying 1,614 patients, including some who received care at its Jacksonville, Florida, and Phoenix locations. Mayo has contacted the FBI and Rochester Police Department about the situation.
"Access was limited in duration, and Mayo has no evidence that any data was printed or retained by the former employee," Mayo's statement said.
Data breaches are all too common. Read Health Imaging’s recent coverage on how to protect against cyberattacks here. The entire Star Tribune story can be accessed below.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.