Kaiser Workers Fired For Peeking At Octomom's File

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VentMedic

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After viewing the octomom giving birth video in the humor section (and found it hilarious), I noticed this on the newswire.



Kaiser Workers Fired For Peeking At Octomom's File

http://cbs2.com/local/Octomom.Hospital.Files.2.971957.html

Fifteen hospital workers have been fired and another eight disciplined for looking at medical records of octuplet mother Nadya Suleman without permission, hospital officials said Monday.

Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center reported the violations of health care privacy laws to the state and has warned employees to keep away from Suleman's records unless they have a medical purpose, hospital spokesman Jim Anderson said.

"Despite the notoriety of this case, to us this person is a patient who deserves the privacy that all our patients get," Anderson said.
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They should have known better. A patient is a patient, and their privacy shouldn't be breached regardless of why they're in the hospital.
 
15! Wow. How could that many people think that this was acceptable?
 
Imagine the countless others who have viewed the file and didn't get caught. Privacy is largely integrity-based.
 
el Murpharino said:
Imagine the countless others who have viewed the file and didn't get caught. Privacy is largely integrity-based.
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Electronic footprints...

Even if we accidentally click on the wrong name we may get a notice from IT sent to our supervisors. Luckily, in some hospitals it will log what you access and how long. As RTs, we have access to the records to every patient in the hospital. However, for every patient record we access, we must electronically document a note to verify our reasons.

Just as any other security breech, this can cost someone(s) their license since the state will be notified. California passed a serious law about this last year. The licensed professionals may also be fined and sued directly in addition to the hospital. This did involve, or at least it was their sign on, only licensed professionals with patient information access.
 
So what did the 15 do, that the other 8 did not do, to get fired?
 
VentMedic said:
Electronic footprints...

Even if we accidentally click on the wrong name we may get a notice from IT sent to our supervisors. Luckily, in some hospitals it will log what you access and how long. As RTs, we have access to the records to every patient in the hospital. However, for every patient record we access, we must electronically document a note to verify our reasons.

Just as any other security breech, this can cost someone(s) their license since the state will be notified. California passed a serious law about this last year. The licensed professionals may also be fined and sued directly in addition to the hospital. This did involve, or at least it was their sign on, only licensed professionals with patient information access.
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Yep i have that too when i was a summer intern. they track every patient that I went too and not just name but every single page. If we got "audited" then we would have to give an explanation for why we went to that patient if there is no connection to my work. Also it logs every change i make in the system...high pressure for a 17y/o lol
 
Linuss said:
So what did the 15 do, that the other 8 did not do, to get fired?
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Some of it would depend on what type of information and how many sections of the record were accessed and if any were printed.
 
VentMedic said:
Electronic footprints...
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That's provided they have electronic records. I know in the hospitals nearby to home they primarily use paper records still. I know there is a big push toward electronic records, biometrics, logins, etc., especially nowadays with the stimulus package funding for electronic records. That still doesn't mean that one person opened the file, with countless others lurking over their shoulders. Plus there could have been information relayed to people by those who did have access to their files via word of mouth. As I stated before, the first line of defense in privacy is personal integrity.
 
el Murpharino said:
That's provided they have electronic records. I know in the hospitals nearby to home they primarily use paper records still. I know there is a big push toward electronic records, biometrics, logins, etc., especially nowadays with the stimulus package funding for electronic records. That still doesn't mean that one person opened the file, with countless others lurking over their shoulders. Plus there could have been information relayed to people by those who did have access to their files via word of mouth. As I stated before, the first line of defense in privacy is personal integrity.
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Are you familiar with Kaiser Permanente? The nation's largest HMO?

I never said they opened the file for countless people. But, whoever opened the file that had no direct care reasons for that patient will have left their mark.

Rarely will a hospital fire on just heresay but it will trigger an investigation.

Looking at a bedside chart when the patient is not yours can also bring discipline but that could be harder to prove unless caught by a superior. The babies' charts would be in the NICU which is a locked unit. The maternity ward is also closely monitored and entry is allowed only by coded badges. People do not come and go easily from these areas in a hospital.
 
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