Confidential data from Derriford Hospital has been lost or stolen 17 times during the past two years, health chiefs have admitted. The theft of seven hospital laptops, patient blood results being sent to the wrong address and members of the public accessing sensitive files are among data problems recorded since January 2007. The hospital revealed…
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UK: 'Curious' NHS worker loses unfair dismissal appeal
A MEDICAL records worker fired for accessing a high-profile patient’s confidential file has lost her unfair sacking claim. Elaine Duncan, a former cancer information officer in Edinburgh, admitted viewing information about a high-profile individual who had been featured in media reports, out of “curiosity”. […] Ms Duncan, of Hoseason Gardens, Edinburgh, was fired for gross…
UK: Medical notes sent to a stranger
Medical notes of three Dudley patients have been sent in error to a stranger in the town prompting concerns over a government agency’s data security. Rod Phillips, 59, was told he was ineligible for a disability pension and took the matter to tribunal. He said he was alarmed to find three people’s medical notes enclosed…
Laws target health ID theft
Melinda Mawdsley reports: New federal regulations aimed at detecting potential health identity theft are changing some procedures at Grand Valley businesses. Patients checking in at local hospitals or physicians’ offices can now expect to show photo identification at every visit. That wasn’t always the case, local hospital officials said. Read more in GJsentinel.com
Medical errors, apologies and apology laws
Noni MacDonald, MD MSc and Amir Attaran, LLB DPhi have an editorial in the current issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal that addresses the need for apologies when a medical error occurs. The article describes the history of such laws in the U.S. in the 1990’s: […] Full disclosure to the patient is the…
Stunning breach of confidentiality in Travolta tragedy
As Americans, we are indoctrinated with the notion of patient confidentiality. But what happened in the recent Jett Travolta tragedy should remind us that the protections we may have here may not apply if health care is provided out of the country. By now, most of the world knows that actor John Travolta’s son died…