Study Finds Hospitals Tossed Sensitive Patient Information in Recycling Bins
March 28, 2018 | Strategic Insights for Health System
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Researchers found thousands of documents containing personally identifiable information in the recycling bins of five Toronto-area teaching hospitals, according to a March 20, 2018, research letter published in JAMA. The trove of paperwork weighed more than 117 kg (259 lb). Thirty-nine percent of the documents were defined as highly sensitive, meaning the documents contained personally identifying information as well as a description of the patient's medical condition.