Montfort Hospital officials were scrambling on Friday to reassure thousands of patients that an unsecured USB data key lost by a hospital employee did not contain intimate details of their health issues.
Information on the USB key, downloaded from a Montfort computer in contravention of hospital rules, contained information on more than 25,000 patients, all of whom have been sent a letter of apology and reassurance signed by Montfort’s chief privacy officer El Mostafa Bouattane.
The mass-mailed letter addressed to “Dear Patient”’ tells patients only that the USB key disappeared “despite our standard precautions” and contained just basic person information — “your name, summary data relating to the type of service you received, the date of service and a code referring to your provider’s name.” (“Provider” is the patient’s doctor).
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