A University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro (N.J.) employee who was herself previously hospitalized within the health system has filed a lawsuit, alleging her HIV-positive status was leaked to coworkers during a security breach, NJ.com reports.
The employee alleges that a year after her hospitalization, she received a notification letter from Princeton Healthcare System stating that a coworker had accessed her medical records without permission, and the hospital had known for two months before sending the notice. The notification letter stated the hospital was taking appropriate action against the coworker, but in the lawsuit the employee claimed her protected health information had become the stuff of gossip and was affecting how she was treated on the job, according to NJ.com.
The hospital issued a statement explaining its policy on educating employees about patient confidentiality. The statement also reiterated that the system takes medical record breaches seriously and is investigating.