Health Information Management

FL hospice sued for violating patients' privacy

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, May 9, 2003

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The Hospice of Florida Suncoast violated thousands of patients' privacy by releasing information about them and their next of kin without authorization for marketing purposes, according to a lawsuit filed May 1.

According to the lawsuit, the hospice used names, diagnoses, Social Security numbers, and other patient information to help demonstrate, market, sell, and train people to use a software product, reports the St. Petersburg Times.

The suit claims the hospice's for-profit subsidiary, Hospice Systems Inc., released the information over the last several years as it marketed the product to other hospices around the nation.

Go to http://www.sptimes.com/ to read more.



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