Medical Records

[George K]

D4 called her hospital the other day, asking for CDs of an MRI she had done so that she could show her new doc.

A few days later, a bunch of CDs arrived. 4 of them had the MRIs that could be viewed on a computer using the proper software. It had standard labeling on it: type of exam, date, facility, etc. It's a nice way to get images to the new doc.

A fifth CD had her name written on it with a sharpie. It also had some images that she could show the doc.

But, also on the CD were a bunch of PDFs....

So, I opened one of them...

Someone needs to be fired educated on patient privacy and HIPPA laws.

[jodi]

Omg.

[jon-nyc]

I would forgive these things. Accidents happen.

In my experience (high n), the health care industry takes hippa very seriously, if anything erring on the side of taking it too seriously.

[Mik]

That's normally true. But people make mistakes.

[George K]

There are 135 documents on that disc. One is D4.

[Jolly]

@george-k said in Medical Records:

There are 135 documents on that disc. One is D4.

The provider needs to know.

[George K]

@jolly said in Medical Records:

The provider needs to know.

She's making that call today.

[jodi]

Do you think they reused an old CD that already had things on it, or did somebody accidentally copy and paste all the records instead of just one? (I’m sure it was a mistake, no matter what).

[Jolly]

In other news, my landline is the same as a discontinued internal VA number.

I get at least a half-dozen medical calls a day, from patients, staffers and an occasional doc.

I've called and griped to the VA, my congressman and anybody else who would listen. No joy. I'm thinking of using the HIPAA angle next.

[George K]

@jodi said in Medical Records:

did somebody accidentally copy and paste all the records instead of just one?

That's what I'd guess happened. All the records are from this summer.

[jodi]

@jolly in Idaho, we had a number that was was one off from the high school, and I often got calls in the morning from parents telling me junior was sick today. not nearly as many as you, though!

[Klaus]

Maybe there's a market somewhere in the darknet where you can sell that kind of stuff for $$$ (or rather Bitcoin)?

[Axtremus]

@george-k said in Medical Records:

There are 135 documents on that disc. One is D4.

SitCom: “The Support Group of CD #5”

[Jolly]

@jodi said in Medical Records:

@jolly in Idaho, we had a number that was was one off from the high school, and I often got calls in the morning from parents telling me junior was sick today. not nearly as many as you, though!

Yeah, but did the high school give out your number as the high school's?

The VA routinely give out my number. I had a call yesterday from the VA in Alexandria, Virginia.

[George K]

She called Medical Records Health Informatics this afternoon. She explained that she received 5 discs, 4 of which were clearly her radiology studies going back years, and the one, with a sharpie-made label on it, containing 135 records of other patients.

"Wait...what???"

::Explanation occurs::

Silence on the other end of the line for about 15 seconds.

"We're going to mail you a FedEx envelope into which we ask you put the questionable CD. Please get it back to us ASAP."