The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) has issued a breach notice to an unknown number of patients after a laptop containing patients' personal health information had been lost.
On Jan. 22, UMMC officials were notified that a password-protected laptop was missing. The laptop was a shared device, used by UMMC clinicians working in a non-public, patient-care area.
The laptop may have contained health and personal information of adult patients seen at UMMC between 2008 and January 2013. The information potentially included names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security Numbers, diagnoses, medications, treatments and other clinical information.
On learning the laptop was missing, UMMC officials took action to secure the information. Despite efforts to locate the laptop, it has not yet been recovered.
UMMC administrators believe it is unlikely the information on this computer has actually been viewed, accessed, used or disclosed.
UMMC has received no notifications from current or former patients regarding any unauthorized use of protected health or personal information pertaining to this breach.
