During a provider transition at A Plus Dental Group, a subsidiary of SmileBrands, an unauthorized patient data transfer occurred. The incident involved a fraudulent transfer form that moved all Invisalign patients being treated by Dr. Blain Jacobson, DMD, CAGS, to Dr. Michael Guess, DDS. This action was neither authorized by Invisalign nor Dr. Jacobson, who became aware of the issue when he noticed the complete transfer of his patients. Upon discovering the breach, Dr. Jacobson contacted Invisalign to investigate.
The investigation conducted by Invisalign confirmed that the transfer was improper and unauthorized. As a result, the patients who had been mistakenly transferred were promptly returned to their appropriate accounts. SmileBrands, A Plus Dental Group, and Dr. Jacobson took swift action to rectify the situation by reassigning patients to their rightful providers. Additionally, legitimate patient transfers for active Invisalign treatments were carried out to ensure proper continuity of care under Dr. Guess.
The unauthorized transfer included sensitive patient information such as names, photographs, digital dental models, radiographs, and treatment plans. This breach of medical records prompted SmileBrands and A Plus Dental Group to investigate the systems and individuals involved in facilitating the unauthorized transfer. Efforts are underway to strengthen security protocols and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
Patients who believe their records may have been involved in the unauthorized transfer are encouraged to contact the office where they receive their orthodontic care. This ensures that any concerns can be addressed, and affected individuals can verify whether their records were impacted by the incident.
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