MENIFEE VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER

Report ID: KSYS11.01, California Department of Public Health

Reported Entity: MENIFEE VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER

Issue:

Based on interview and record review, the facility failed to prevent unauthorized disclosure of protected health information (PHI) for one patient (Patient 1) when a medical records department employee faxed the physician records from an Emergency Department (ED visit to a private residence instead of to the patient's physician. This failed practice resulted in the potential for emotional harm to Patient 1.Findings:During an interview with the facility privacy officer (PO) on May 19, 2015, at 2:30 p.m., the PO stated on May 6, 2015, a medical records employee received a faxed request from a physician's office for the ED records from Patient 1's visit. The PO stated the physician's fax number was on the request. According to the PO, the medical records employee dialed the number that was on the fax request, and sent the fax to an incorrect (private residence) number. The PO stated the employee should have had a second person verify the number she had dialed before sending the fax, but she did not.A review of the records that were faxed to a private residence indicated they contained the following PHI:1. Name;2. Date of Birth/Age;3. Date of ED treatment;4. Chief complaint in the ED;5. Medical history;6. Allergies;7. Medications;8. Vital Signs;9. Physical Examination;10. Diagnosis;11. Treatment ; and,12. Plan for further treatment.Failure of the medical records employee to verify the fax number she was sending the information to resulted in unauthorized disclosure of PHI for Patient 1.

Outcome:

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

Related Reports:

1 other violation reported on the same date. Note that other citations may be about the same event: GNTF11.01