Health Information Management

PHI found on computer sold in KY

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, February 7, 2003

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A computer sold by a Kentucky state agency contained the names of thousands of people with AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases along with the number of sexual partners of those diagnosed with AIDS, reports the Associated Press (AP).

The computer, one of eight computers offered to state agencies and nonprofit groups at the state's surplus-property office, was purchased by an auditor for $25 and never left state custody. It would have been offered to the public if it had gone unsold.

The computer, which was used from 1995 to 1999, came from an agency that counseled patients with sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, according to the AP.

The computer's hard drive was thought to have been wiped clean when it was shipped off for sale late last year, said Health Services Secretary Marcia Morgan. She has ordered an internal investigation into the breach.



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