Medical device theft at SSM Health Orthopedics affects the data of 836 patients

A medical device that records physiological information was stolen on the day of April 12 from SSM Health Orthopedics, which operates out of SSM Health-owned DePaul Hospital in St. Louis, potentially impacting the data of 836 sufferers.

The agency said the medical device, which looks similar to a laptop computer, contained in its memory certain physiological data as well as protected health information from sufferers who participated in a study between the time period of 2002 and 2017. The agency notified the sufferers that some of their protected health information has been compromised.

These sufferers had one of 2 electro diagnostic studies, called EMG or NCS, and the electromyography medical device recorded electrical activity in muscle tissue to assess health of the muscles and corresponding nerve cells. Compromised information involved first and last names, dates of birth, medical record numbers and chief complaints. No financial, address, phone or Social Security information was compromised. SSM Health privacy specialist Mackenzie Schlotz said in a letter sent to patients that the organization does not believe patients are at risk for identity theft deployed on the limited data on the device.

“It is likely that the intention of the theft was to steal the medical device, which resembles a laptop computer, and not health data,” Schlotz added. “There is no proof to recommend that the limited health information contained on the medical device has been misused in any manner.”

SSM Health Orthopedics has instituted new controls, and will conduct further training of staff and management on the managing of patient information.

The agency has 2 previous major data breaches listed on the HHS Office for Civil Rights breach web site. In the year of October 2013, the theft of a laptop at Janesville Hospital in Wisconsin affected 631 sufferers. In the year of October 2015, an unauthorized access to paper or films at SSM Health Cancer Care in Missouri affected 643 patients.

SSM Health Orthopedics refused to provide more information on the most recent incident, however it did corroborate the information it sent out to affected patients by letter.