Search Privacy Violations, Breaches and Complaints
This database was last updated in December 2015 ago and should only be used as a historical snapshot. More recent data on breaches affecting 500 or more people is available at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Breach Portal.
Desert Pacific Healthcare Network (VISN 22)
Mentioned in a privacy incident report created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on March 29, 2013. Also cited in 129 other reports.
Report ID: PSETS0000087373, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: VISN 22 San Diego, CA
Issue:
A Bravo pH medical device was lost. The Bravo pH is a capsule-based, patient-friendly test for identifying the presence of acid reflux in ambulatory patients over the course of several days. A nurse had placed a patient label on the device that included that patient's name, full SSN, and date of birth. The actual device cannot be accessed to retrieve any protected health information (PHI), so the label is the primary concern. The device has not been located. The device was identified as lost on 03/25/13 however, due to confusion on the process of how to report it, the Privacy Officer (PO) was not notified until 03/29/13. Training has been held with the staff who work with the devices, and patient labels will no longer be placed on the devices. Update: 03/31/13:The Veteran will receive a letter offering credit protection services.
Outcome:
Policies have been reviewed and it was not part of the SOP to place the label on the device. The staff has been educated on proper procedures and labels will not be attached to the devices.