A Tennessee dental practice recently apologized after a video was posted online allegedly showing staff members reading a patient's private journal out loud, NBC affiliate WBIR reported Aug. 12.
The video, which appears to have been posted online by an employee, allegedly shows one employee at Premier Dental Group of Knoxville (Tenn.) reading a patient's private journal to two other employees. The journal included the patient's thoughts on different kinds of treatment.
The video was shared widely on social media and sparked outrage from the public, who called for people to stop visiting the practice.
It is not clear how the practice's staff had access to the patient's journal or why they read it, WBIR reported.
The practice posted a statement on its Facebook page, stating it apologized for "a recent incident involving an inappropriate video created and shared by some of our employees." The practice's Facebook has since been made inaccessible, but WBIR posted a screenshot of the practice's full statements on its website.
Premier Dental Group of Knoxville also settled a lawsuit last year after it was accused of scamming the state's Medicaid program and possibly putting patients in danger. The lawsuit alleged that the practice used unqualified hygienists and upcoded procedures that weren't actually needed or performed. The practice paid around $1 million to settle the lawsuit, WBIR reported.