An employee of University Hospitals improperly accessed medical and personal information of 692 patients over a three-year period, the hospital system said Friday, cleveland.com reports.
The employee, who has been dismissed, breached the hospital system's electronic medical records, allowing the person to gain names, home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, medical and health-insurance account numbers and other patient information. The electronic medical records also provide information on patients' office visits.
The employee also viewed information on some patients' Social Security numbers and personal financial account information, including credit card and debit card numbers.
A spokeswoman for the hospital system, Alicia Reale, said it appears the employee simply was snooping, as it is not aware of any fraud or identity theft involving patients. She said the hospital has mailed letters to the 692 patients involved.
