Mount Nittany Health Faces $1.8 Million Settlement Over Patient Data Misuse
Healthcare Dive
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Contributed by: Kate Gamble
Summary
Mount Nittany Health is proposed to pay a $1.8 million settlement to resolve allegations of improperly sharing patient data with technology companies for marketing purposes. The lawsuit, filed by two anonymous residents, claims the health system disclosed sensitive treatment details to firms like Google and Facebook. If approved, the settlement would benefit over 70,000 patients who accessed Mount Nittany’s online services since 2007. This incident reflects a growing trend of healthcare providers facing scrutiny over their use of tracking technologies, as similar lawsuits have led to large settlements for other institutions. While some in the healthcare sector defend these tools for improving website functionality, critics are increasingly concerned about transparency and the unauthorized sharing of patient information with third parties.
