EISENHOWER MEDICAL CENTER

Report ID: 4ZO211.01, California Department of Public Health

Reported Entity: EISENHOWER MEDICAL CENTER

Issue:

Based on interview and record review, the facility failed to ensure all patient protected health information (PHI) was kept protected, which resulted in the unauthorized access of the patient's confidential information (Patient 9). Patient 9's confidential information was given to Patient 10 when Patient 10 was given part of his record which contained the laboratory testing results for Patient 9 on May 13, 2013. This resulted in the unauthorized disclosure of Patient 9's protected health information (PHI).Findings:On August 27, 2013, at 9:40 a.m., an interview was conducted with the Compliance Specialist (CS). She stated: a. On May 13, 2013, Patient 10 presented to the Infusion Center and requested part of his record. The Infusion Center staff printed the record and gave Patient 10 the requested records.b. On May 14, 2013, Patient 10 presented to Health Information Management (HIM) to obtain additional records and told the HIM staff he had received some records on May 13, 2013, from the Infusion Center, but in those records he found the laboratory results for Patient 9.c. On May 14, 2013, the HIM staff reported the event to Compliance and retrieved Patient 9's laboratory result documentation.Patient 10 received and had an opportunity to view Patient 9's PHI, which included name, date of birth, medical record number, account number, physician name, gender and laboratory results.Patient 9 was informed of the disclosure of her protected health information (PHI) via a letter dated and mailed on May 17, 2013, to her last known address.The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) was notified via a facsimile dated May 17, 2013, of the unauthorized access of Patient 9's PHI.The facility policy and procedure titled "Information Privacy" reviewed/revised December 19, 2011, revealed "... (facility name) will take all necessary steps to avoid unauthorized or unlawful access, use or disclosure of protected health information ... Whenever possible, the Information Privacy Officer will contact the individual or organization to whom the information was inappropriately or unlawfully accessed, used or released and requested that no further access, use or disclosure of the information is made and to return or destroy the information. The Information Privacy Officer will contact the Department of Public Health and report the breach within (5) five days of discovery. The Information Privacy Officer will contact the patient within (5) five days of discovery to inform him or her of the unauthorized access, use of disclosure and the plan or step's taken to mitigate it. ..."

Outcome:

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

Related Reports:

3 other violations reported on the same date. Note that other citations may be about the same event: JHR211.01, SMOZ11.01, V7Z111.01