Improper access to the medical information of celebrities and people in the news has been a bane of health systems around the country for years. The proliferation of electronic medical records systems has made it easier to track and punish those who peek in records for no legitimate reason.
Below is a partial list of high-profile breaches and the consequences that followed, compiled from news reports.
1 of 7
— A bandaged George Clooney seen in New York in 2007, after he was injured in a motorcycle accident.
A bandaged George Clooney seen in New York in 2007, after he was injured in a motorcycle accident.
/ Robert Pitts/Landov
2 of 7
— Britney Spears was taken to the neuropsychiatric section of the UCLA Medical Center on Jan. 31, 2008.
Britney Spears was taken to the neuropsychiatric section of the UCLA Medical Center on Jan. 31, 2008.
/ Valerie Macon/Getty Images
3 of 7
— Jacksonville Jaguars player Richard Collier joins his teammates on the sidelines for the national anthem on Dec. 18, 2008.
Jacksonville Jaguars player Richard Collier joins his teammates on the sidelines for the national anthem on Dec. 18, 2008.
/ Phil Coale/AP
4 of 7
— Nadya Suleman was dubbed "Octomom" after the birth of her octuplets.
Nadya Suleman was dubbed "Octomom" after the birth of her octuplets.
/ Barcroft Media/Landov
5 of 7
— Police tape hangs across the street near the emergency room dock at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, where Michael Jackson was brought after he stopped breathing.
Police tape hangs across the street near the emergency room dock at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, where Michael Jackson was brought after he stopped breathing.
/ Mario Anzuoni/Reuters/Landov
6 of 7
— UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles has many celebrity patients.
UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles has many celebrity patients.
/ Lucy Nicholson/Reuters/Landov
7 of 7
— Kim Kardashian, North West and Kanye West attend a fashion show in February.
Kim Kardashian, North West and Kanye West attend a fashion show in February.
/ Craig Barritt/Getty Images
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom based in New York. This story is part of a yearlong examination into the security of medical information. Has your medical privacy been compromised? Help ProPublica investigate by filling out a short questionnaire. You can also read other stories in the Policing Patient Privacy series.
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