Postcard error exposes health data of Michigan Medicine patients

Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine is notifying more than 1,000 people that some of their health information may have been exposed after a research study mailed postcards without envelopes.

The postcards, sent June 27 to recruit participants for the study, contained protected health information in the body of the card, according to an Aug. 14 news release from Michigan Medicine. Because they were not sealed, the information could have been seen by anyone who handled the mail.

Once the error was discovered, the research team stopped sending the cards and began an investigation. The University of Michigan’s Institutional Review Board, which oversees research involving human subjects, had mistakenly approved the use of the postcards, Michigan Medicine said.

The University of Michigan’s Institutional Review Board plans to provide additional staff training to prevent similar incidents, according to the release.

Letters notifying affected patients or their representatives were mailed starting Aug. 14. Michigan Medicine said the risk of identity or medical theft is low, but it advised those affected to watch their medical insurance statements for signs of fraudulent activity.

The post Postcard error exposes health data of Michigan Medicine patients appeared first on Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.