Q: When informing first responders that they have been in contact with a COVID-19–positive patient, is it sufficient to merely tell them that one of their patients ended up testing positive? Or does the name of the patient need to be provided?
Q: I have read recently about the uptick in “vishing,” or voicemail messaging scams, targeting remote healthcare workers. What are your recommendations for protecting against this type of threat?
Q: Naturally, companies are curious to learn which of their employees have been exposed to COVID-19 as the workforce begins to return to the office. Under what circumstances can healthcare providers legally disclose a patient’s diagnosis to his or her employer?
As the healthcare industry continues to transition from face-to-face appointments to telehealth during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reports of video conference hijacking are emerging nationwide.
Q: Many media organizations are filming outside the premises or sometimes even in the hospital. When they interview hospital leaders and health officials, this can be done with things happening in the background. How can hospitals prevent accidental disclosures—a patient’s face showing up in the background during an interview, for example? What should the rules be for media looking to film at the facility?
American Medical Technologies, a California-based provider of healthcare supplies, notified individuals in late June that their data was potentially breached during a 2019 security breach.
