Theft of hospital equipment prompts patient notifications

RED DEER – Following the conclusion of a privacy investigation into the theft of property from Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC), Alberta Health Services (AHS) is notifying 6,129 Albertans that their health information may have been viewed by someone other than their authorized care providers.

These notifications are being mailed to the affected individuals on June 17, 2019, in accordance with the Health Information Act. Only those individuals who receive letters were subjects of this breach.

In late April this year, two hard drives were stolen from equipment in the Rehabilitation Department at RDRHC during a break-in, which has been thoroughly investigated by AHS Privacy and Red Deer RCMP. The hard drives were taken from an Electromyogram (EMG) and one of two Electroencephalogram (EEG) machines.

Both are diagnostic tools utilized by clinicians; an EMG is used for nerve conduction to help determine neuromuscular disorders, while an EEG is used to test electrical activity within the brain to aid in diagnosing sleep disorders and epilepsy.

Only the hard drive in the EMG machine contained patient information. Investigators believe the likelihood of health information contained on the EMG hard drive – which was password protected but unencrypted – being used or misused is extremely low.

Individuals receiving notification letters will be able to contact a dedicated call-line available through Health Link (811) to ask any questions they may have. Additionally, contact information for the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta (OIPC) has been provided should anyone wish to report a concern related to this incident.

Alberta Health Services takes the privacy and confidentiality of patient information seriously and has stringent privacy policies in place, including policies pertaining to the electronic storage of patient records. The break-in and theft of the hard drives was reported to the OIPC by AHS and a review of security in the hospital area is underway to identify possible enhancements.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.