CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Patient information through Atrium Health’s online portal may have been leaked to third-party vendors, according to a notice posted on its website.
According to the notice, Atrium determined that between January 2015 and July 2019, certain online tracking technologies used to improve certain features on MyAtriumHealth (formerly MyCarolinas) may have leaked certain personal information to third-party vendors such as Google and Facebook (now Meta).
In June 2022, the use of online tracking systems on websites operated by health care systems was being questioned across the country, sparking a review into Atrium’s use of the technologies on its Patient Portal. During the investigation, it was determined that the technologies were used on certain portions of the portal between 2015 and 2019, but are no longer being used.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have assumed that all users whose MyAtriumHealth or MyCarolinas Patient Portal was accessed from January 2015 – July 2019 may have been affected,” the letter reads.
Atrium says that no social security numbers, financial information including credit or debit card information were involved, saying there is no evidence of any information that may have been shared being misused in any way. However, information such as IP address, third-party identifier/cookies and information about a patient’s treatment or provider may have been shared.
“Additionally, if a user was prompted to fill out a form that included their first and last name, email address, phone number, city, state, ZIP code and gender, that information may also have been shared with these third-party vendors,” the letter adds.
Atrium has a dedicated, toll-free call center to answer any questions concerned patients may have at (866) 676-6532. The call center is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET.
“We apologize for any concern or inconvenience this may have caused and remain committed to protecting the confidentiality and security of our patients’ information. We have and will continue to enhance our security controls, as appropriate, to minimize the risk of similar situations in the future.”
The full letter can be found by going to the Atrium Health website or clicking here.
