EISENHOWER MEDICAL CENTER

Report ID: E33811.01, California Department of Public Health

Reported Entity: EISENHOWER MEDICAL CENTER

Issue:

Based on interview and record review, the facility failed to ensure the PHI (protected health information) of Patient A remained confidential. This failure resulted in the unauthorized disclosure of Patient A's name and medical record number to Patient B.Findings:An interview was conducted with the facility's Compliance Specialist (CS) on September 18, 2013, at 10:45 a.m. The CS stated a staff nurse was discharging Patients A and B at the same time when two documents from Patient A's discharge information packet were placed in the discharge packet for Patient B.A review of Patient A's discharge information which was given to Patient B was conducted. The information disclosed was Patient A's name and medical record number. A review of the facility policy, "HIPPA -Use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (HIPPA -health information portability and accountability act), last Reviewed/Revised 11/18/2011," was conducted. The policy indicated, "It is the policy of (the facility) that the confidentiality of Protected Health information contained in records and collected pursuant to treatment will be protected to the fullest extent possible. To maintain this confidentiality (facility) staff may not disseminate PHI unless it is pursuant to a valid request, a valid authorization or a legally recognized exception to this requirement."

Outcome:

Deficiency cited by the California Department of Public Health: Health & Safety Code 1280

Related Reports:

2 other violations reported on the same date. Note that other citations may be about the same event: RI2E11.01, VEWE11.01