CONTRA COSTA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

Report ID: 7LFL11.01, California Department of Public Health

Reported Entity: CONTRA COSTA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

Issue:

Based on interview and record review, the facility failed to prevent unauthorized access and disclosure of Patient 11's protected, confidential health information, when the patient's information including laboratory results (which the patient had directed to be excluded from transfer) were faxed to a facility not authorized to receive that information. This failure allowed for potential unlawful or unauthorized use of the information and violation of the patient's right to privacy.Findings: During an interview on 11/01/13 at 10 a.m., the Compliance Officer confirmed that the patient's information had been included with the information which the patient had consented to be transferred. She confirmed the information released included the patient's name and medical record number as well as the results of the laboratory test.A review of the letter submitted by the facility revealed that this information was inadvertently faxed with the documentation which was identified on the consent for release.The staff person releasing the information did not comply with the facility's policy to ensure a release is signed for information being transferred. The clerk failed to correctly identify what information was included/excluded by the release prior to sending the fax.

Outcome:

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

Related Reports:

14 other violations reported on the same date. Note that other citations may be about the same event: 12LJ11.01, 1FG111.01, 1ZEU11.01, 5HDU11.01, 6GWS11.01, 763C11.01, DZRR11.01, FN0G11.01, IGX111.01, JCVI11.01, NKWI11.01, OFRL11.01, SJJ811.01, T14T11.01