Breach of Radiology Files Reported at Yale New Haven Hospital

A spokesperson for Yale New Haven Health said some patients' files were unintentionally shared with the public.

Hospital officials said a file created for research was unintentionally posted on a public website. The information shared could have been accessed by what's being described as a small number of people.

The breach was reported to hospital officials on April 18. Hospital officials learned that a web file that contained patient information was made accessible through their website.

The spokesperson said the hospital took steps to make sure the information was no longer available to the public.

The web file was accessible between Dec. 16, 2021 and April 18, 2022. The breach happened because of a human error and officials said it was inadvertent in nature and wasn't determined to be intentional or malicious.

"As a result of this incident, we have reviewed the security permissions across our internet facing systems and will provide training and guidance to remind employees of their continued need to safeguard patient health information. Additionally, we are continuing to enhance our existing technical safeguards to further protect our systems and the information we maintain," the spokesperson said in a statement.

The healthcare system said they engaged a third-party forensic firm to help in their investigation.

The hospital said they deeply regret any inconvenience or concern the incident has caused. Letters were sent out to everyone whose information was shared.