Search Privacy Violations, Breaches and Complaints
This database was last updated in December 2015 ago and should only be used as a historical snapshot. More recent data on breaches affecting 500 or more people is available at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Breach Portal.
EL CENTRO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
Cited by the California Department of Public Health for a violation of California’s Health and Safety Code relating to medical privacy during an inspection that began on February 26, 2013. Also cited in 38 other reports.
Report ID: ZSH811.01, California Department of Public Health
Reported Entity: EL CENTRO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
Issue:
Based on interview, document and record review the hospital failed to ensure that one patient's (Patient A) personal and protected health information (PHI) was kept confidential and not given to another patient (Patient B) without Patient A's prior authorization.Findings:An on site investigation of an entity reported privacy breach was initiated on 2/26/13. An interview was conducted, on 2/26/13 at 12:50 P.M., with the hospital's Compliance Manager and Privacy Officer (CM/PO). The CM/PO stated that both Patient A and Patient B were patient's of an outpatient clinic of the hospital on 2/4/13. When Patient A was leaving the clinic he was given Patient B's After Visit Summary (AVS) by mistake. The individual responsible for the error was a medical assistant (MA 1) who worked at the outpatient clinic.Patient A's AVS contained the following personal and PHI:Patient A's NameDate of Clinic VisitNames of 15 Current MedicationsName of Five Laboratory TestsOutpatient Clinic Physician's NameDate of Patient A's Next Two AppointmentsName of Five Recommended Wellness TestsA review of the hospital's policy and procedure, entitled "Access to and Maintenance of the Health Record" and dated 7/21/11, indicated that "All individuals engaged in the collection, handling or dissemination of patient health information should protect the confidentiality of patient data."An interview was conducted with MA 1 on 3/28/13 at 3:35 P.M. MA 1 stated that she thought that she must have mixed the paperwork of Patient A and Patient B's AVS. MA 1 acknowledged that she did not check the name on each page of the AVS prior to handing Patient A's AVS to Patient B. MA 1 also acknowledged that she was not following hospital policy and procedure by not checking the name on each page of the paper work.
Outcome:
Deficiency cited by the California Department of Public Health: Patients' Rights