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 June 20, 2014. Also cited in 38 other reports.
Report ID: UQZV11, California Department of Public Health
Reported Entity: EL CENTRO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
Issue:
Based on interview and document review the hospital failed to ensure that Patient 2's personal and protected health information (PHI) was kept confidential when Patient 2's discharge instructions were sent to another hospital with Patient 1's transfer documents. The failure to review Patient 1's transfer documents prior to the transfer allowed another hospital to have access to Patient 2's personal information.Findings:An on site investigation of an entity reported privacy breach was initiated on 6/20/14. It was reported to the Department that, on 5/7/14 an unauthorized and inadvertent disclosure of Patient 2's discharge instructions were sent to another hospital with Patient 1's transfer documents.An interview with the Director of Quality Risk Management (DQRM) and the Privacy Officer (PO) was conducted on 6/20/14 at 11:35 A.M. The PO stated that Patient 1 and Patient 2 were both on the medical/surgical floor and that, both had been discharged. The PO stated that the discharge instructions for Patient 1 were commingled with Patient 2's transfer documents which were sent another hospital. She acknowledged that the hospital had not protected Patient 1's personal and PHI when Patient 1's health information was sent to another hospital with Patient 2's transfer documents.The nursing staff's failure to validate that Patient 2's transfer documents contained medical information which only pertained to Patient 2, resulted in the inadvertent and unauthorized release of Patient 1's protected health record information. In addition, this was a violation of the patient's right to confidentiality of PHI pertaining to discharge instruction provided by the hospital.
Outcome:
Deficiency cited by the California Department of Public Health: Patients' Rights