VCU Health disclosed they had recently learned that beginning as early as Jan. 4, 2006, information about transplant donors had accidentally been included in files for their transplant recipients and vice versa.
On Feb. 7, Richmond, Va.-based VCU Health first learned that a limited amount of protected health information may have been viewable as a result of this incident.
Between March 29 and May 27, the health system further learned that additional patient health information — including names, Social Security numbers, lab results, medical record numbers, dates of service and dates of birth — were also visible in other transplant recipients' and donors' medical records.
VCU Health said 4,441 donors and recipients have been affected by the incident.
It is mailing letters to all who have been affected and said it has found no evidence to indicate any of the patient information has been misused as a result of the incident.