Madison-based University of Wisconsin Health is notifying patients of a data breach after mistakenly sending patient satisfaction surveys to some patients' parents instead of the patients themselves. d Aug. 2. While the envelopes were addressed to the parents or guardians of patients, the cover letter was accurately addressed to the patient. The patient surveys included the name of the provider who treated the patient.
UW Health says the mailing error stemmed from an improperly formatted computer file, and the system worked to prevent further envelopes from being misaddressed.
The breach affects 6,923 individuals, according to HHS Office for Civil Rights' breach notification portal.
"We apologize for the error and regret any confusion or concern it may have caused," reads UW Health's statement. "To help prevent something like this from happening in the future we have re-educated the staff involved."
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