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According to a motion filed this week, Duke Health said a lawsuit alleging its patient portal shared patient data with Facebook should be dropped because it does not show that patients’ privacy has been violated. said there is.
Kim Naugle and Afrika Williams sued Facebook, Duke University Health System, and WakeMed’s parent company, Meta, on Sept. 1, alleging that the health system used Facebook’s pixel-tracking tools to link personal patient portals and Facebook. It claimed it violated privacy by transferring patient data.
In the lawsuit, two patients alleged that a pixel tracking tool was improperly used on the hospital’s website, allowing them to sign in or out of the hospital’s patient portal to request an appointment or talk. claimed to be redirecting people to sign in through their Facebook accounts. with a provider.
In an emailed statement provided by a spokesperson, the university said: Respect the privacy of patient medical information. “DUHS has investigated the use of Meta Pixels on our website and patient portal and determined that DUHS is not sending protected health information of patients to Meta,” the statement said.
However, Duke University said Tuesday in its motion to dismiss that even if Williams connected to her Facebook with a “DukeMyChart” login and identified her as a Duke Health patient, this would make the case against Duke. He said it wasn’t enough to support it.
“Williams did not disclose the nature of any substantive communications she made on the patient portal, or what medical information or conditions, if any, were sent to Facebook, or how she may have been harmed. I have not argued that there is a
Naugle did not make specific allegations against Duke. In a statement, the university said it had completed a survey and said patient data was not shared with Facebook.
Facebook’s pixel technology allows third-party vendors to track patient browsing habits.
“This illegal transmission and collection of data occurred without the knowledge or permission of plaintiff-like patients, violates defendants’ user/patient agreements, and violates various federal and state laws.” said the patient. in a lawsuit filed in September.
The patient claimed that when he signed into the patient portal, a Facebook pixel was secretly placed on a web page that sent Facebook the fact that he clicked to sign into the patient portal.
The lawsuit says sharing patient information with Facebook violates the health system’s privacy promises to patients because it is not HIPAA authorized.
Patients claim that at least 664 hospital systems or healthcare provider websites share patient data with Facebook via Facebook pixels, although Facebook has not confirmed this.
This is one of many cases that claim pixel technology is invading patient privacy.The patient filed a lawsuit earlier this month Defends Wisconsin and Illinois-based Aurora Health in a class action lawsuit. The patient claimed his personal information was shared with his Facebook in a breach that affected 3 million patients and may have included pixel tracking data.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Photo: Jusan, Getty Images
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