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-   -   Patients' Confidential Information.... (https://www.adrsupport.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5290)

Harrison 02-08-2006 08:49 AM

How very sad for all involved. The depth of incompetence is actually much worse than reported -- they failed to report here that this "problem" went on for 6 months. No wonder many patients fear the future of "cyper records..."
_______________________________________________

Patients' Confidential Information Sent To Local Bank

Tue Feb 7, 5:58 PM ET

Brigham and Women's Hospital mistakenly sent patients' confidential medical information to a local bank a number of times, officials said Tuesday.

NewsCenter 5's Shiba Russell reported that the information, including records about patients' sexually transmitted diseases, was faxed to a Boston investment bank by mistake.

The hospital admitted that it made a blunder. The admission surfaced after the investment bank revealed that the hospital mistakenly sent the medical data of about 30 patients to the bank. The information included patients' Social Security numbers and information about STDs.

"When I heard that I was a little shocked. At the same time, I was a little scared, too. That's not right. It's invading a patient's privacy," patient Kiran Reedy said.

The bank's finance manger told the Boston Herald that she called the hospital about 12 times to alert hospital officials about the error, but the faxes kept arriving at the bank. The bank shredded the faxes.

"Brigham and Women's considers this a serious matter and is now conducting its own internal investigation. The hospital has identified the error and taken steps to correct the situation," the hospital said in a statement.

Hospital officials said that they plan to notify any patient whose information was sent to the bank.

The mix-up was admitted just days after the Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram and Gazette newspapers acknowledged accidentally releasing credit card numbers of more than 200,000 subscribers.

Mariaa 02-08-2006 11:26 AM

So much for HIPPA regs..
I've received faxes from a doctors office for patient's pain med orders.. it's like seeing what I'm getting ordered and for what diagnosis.
I called the office and told them that is a violation of confidentiality and they need to make sure of the fax number that's being entered, instead of getting a home residence.
That makes me wonder how confidential are our records really...

sahuaro 02-08-2006 06:29 PM

According to HIPAA regulations, each breach of confidentiality needs to be recorded internally and reported to the federal oversight agency--and each violation is subject to a hefty fine...

spotty14 02-08-2006 08:50 PM

I hope the Bank files a complaint with HIPAA as well as individual patients who are aware that their confidential information was sent to the bank.

mmglobal 02-09-2006 07:21 PM

I was glad to read that story posted above wasn't the bank requesting info for loan approval/denial decisions.... just a clerical error with the phone number and the bank was shredding the documents.

I've received films from a doctor's office with random sheets from another patient's brain MRI mixed in. I hope that there wasn't a missed diagnosis because the money shot was on a missing sheet. I doubt that anyone would have noticed that a couple of films were missing.

Mark

LeeK 02-09-2006 08:34 PM

Just yesterday at work I received a fax from a mortgage company notifying another company that they were foreclosing on this person's home... (I work in a healthcare facility)

My medical records are litered with errors and I am keeping track of each and every error and documenting them!! I have a big 'ol binder with my own personal copies of records and every correspondence!

Fortitudine 02-09-2006 10:07 PM

So what's going to happen when all our health records are online? I hope each patient will have online access to their own records, and I hope the security is like the airports. I am just about to start working on the implementation of an multi-hospital online system here in Canada and I'll have to ask about that. But I don't suppose that will be an issue for you US folks with your private health care.Scary to think that the insurers might have access!!!!!

spotty14 02-09-2006 10:13 PM

In the US some insurance claims are sent via email/online so already there is the possibility of an unauthorized disclosure of Protected Health Information - it's scary.

luvmysibe 02-10-2006 01:06 PM

I was just sent an online link by a friend that portrays what ordering a pizza may be like in 2010, if people choose to be implanted with ID chips. The pizza company had all of the person's medical info, banking, addresses, phone numbers, etc... This may have sounded far fetched a few years ago, but not anymore.

ans 02-11-2006 02:09 AM

I saw that one too. Funny in a sick way.


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