Confidential medical information, or is it? How comfortable will you feel NOW?

[iluvmybaby]

Confidential AIDS Patient List E-Mailed

Sun Feb 20, 5:55 PM ET Top Stories - AP



WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A confidential list of 4,500 southeast Florida residents with AIDS (news - web sites) and 2,000 others who are HIV (news - web sites) positive was inadvertently e-mailed to more than 800 county health workers, officials said.

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John W. "Jack" Nolan, who compiles data on AIDS and HIV cases for the Palm Beach County Health Department, e-mailed county employees with a monthly statistics report on Thursday.


But, he accidentally attached a file listing the names and addresses of AIDS patients and HIV-positive individuals, according to Tim O'Connor, a spokesman for the health department.


Nolan realized his mistake within minutes and contacted the department's computer specialists, who shut down the agency's e-mail system for about an hour, O'Connor said. Technicians removed all copies of the e-mail from the system.


"We don't know the number of people who opened the attachment, but it appears to our information technology staff that only 10 people opened the e-mail," O'Connor said. "We have already contacted most of them and will contact the others Monday."


Health Department Director Dr. Jean Malecki has launched an investigation with Nolan's help. The state health department's inspector general has also been asked to conduct an independent inquiry.


The Associated Press was unable to contact Nolan on Saturday. Two phone listings for John Nolan in Palm Beach County were not his.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=14&u=/ap/20050220/ap_on_he_me/aids_list_e_mail

Makes your wonder when you go to the Dr and they say that all your medical information is confidential how many slip ups like this happenen? What I dont understand is why a list would be on this mans computer, that doesnt make sense? Smells fishy to me, everyone has a right to privacy, I am sure that there is going to be a lawsuit out of this, please dont take it that i mean that everyone should sue about everything but this is defientily a violation of this persons trust

[MamaFairal]

how awful :(

[msmom79]

yes this is awful :(

[justme23]

Well... I imagine the list was on his computer because he is the person who compiles the data on Aids patients in that state/county... and the article plainly says it was accidental and that they shut down and deleted all but 10 of the emails before they were ever opened... Yes, it's horrible that it happened but ALL humans make mistakes and this could have happened to anyone. I don't see any reason for anyone to sue over this... but I'm sure someone w/ dollar signs in their eyes will do it anyways.

[bribella]

Well... I imagine the list was on his computer because he is the person who compiles the data on Aids patients in that state/county... and the article plainly says it was accidental and that they shut down and deleted all but 10 of the emails before they were ever opened... Yes, it's horrible that it happened but ALL humans make mistakes and this could have happened to anyone. I don't see any reason for anyone to sue over this... but I'm sure someone w/ dollar signs in their eyes will do it anyways.
ITA

[CatrinaF25]

wow! what a mess!! :( I am sure one of the reassons they have that list is for research ( when new meds come available they can offer it to those who have aids) or treatments. I know dallas is on the List for having ROP and being blind. and i am greatful he is on it :) that means when a new surgery comes available they can contact us for it!!! or when a cure! :)
and I am sure the guy feels horriable for sending out them records!:( I would be horrified if i was on it and it was sent out. but i would also understand humans are not perfect :)

[JCshopper]

Well... I imagine the list was on his computer because he is the person who compiles the data on Aids patients in that state/county... and the article plainly says it was accidental and that they shut down and deleted all but 10 of the emails before they were ever opened... Yes, it's horrible that it happened but ALL humans make mistakes and this could have happened to anyone. I don't see any reason for anyone to sue over this... but I'm sure someone w/ dollar signs in their eyes will do it anyways.

Yes, I agree too. And it was sent to COUNTY HEALTH WORKERS who are also bound to confidentiality by the law. That does not vary state to state. It is a federal law. There should be no harm done in this instance.

[schsa]

I doubt if it would make a major difference. If you are HIV and are recieving any medical attention that medical worker needs to know your health status. Plus you are talking about health workers who probably already have confidentiality agreements. It's not as if they go around talking about everyone they see and their health status. If it was a list of people who had had apendectomies would we be as concerned? And is this another form of prejudice for people who are HIV that this information went to the national news? That they are so different than the rest of us who have illnesses?

[buglebe]

Sorry to say but medical information is not private. Think about all the people who work in doctor's offices and hospitals. The nurses may not talk but they might especially after they don't work there any more. And think about housekeeping, lab etc. My neighbor 3 doors down came in for a penile prosthetic about 20 years ago while I was working. I was assigned to him, but when I realized who it was, I swapped patients with someone else. But you never know who is reading your chart or knowing your medical information. People work in all those insurance offices too. My daughter and the wife of my husband's co worker worked for BCBS in the Fed dept which meant they handled all the claims from where my husband worked. This is a very unfortunate incident about the AIDS and HIV patients and I imagine there will be some law suits out there but don't ever think your medical information is confidential because it is not. I think my neighbors penile prosthetic would be as private to him as AIDS to a person with AIDS.

[Donnagg123]

Sorry to say but medical information is not private. Think about all the people who work in doctor's offices and hospitals. The nurses may not talk but they might especially after they don't work there any more. And think about housekeeping, lab etc.
It would be unethical for a nurse/doctor/etc. that does not work somwhere anymore to talk about patients to anyone and they can still be liable for breaching confidentiality and it would be a violation of the HIPPA law. I am a student nurse and they are very particular who is allowed to see information. We are not allowed to look at any other file/information other than the person to whom we are assigned. I am not allowed to even talk to my hubby about things as well, even if it was someone we know. it would be unusual for housekeeping to look at files because there is no need for them to know anything about a client, even if they had AIDS. They are supposed to be using universal precautions on everything just as muchas the nurses/doctors do. Sorry to be so long winded, but a lot of people do not realize how serious this is and how serious (at least where I am) this kind of confidentiality is taken.

[YankeeMary]

It would be unethical for a nurse/doctor/etc. that does not work somwhere anymore to talk about patients to anyone and they can still be liable for breaching confidentiality and it would be a violation of the HIPPA law. I am a student nurse and they are very particular who is allowed to see information. We are not allowed to look at any other file/information other than the person to whom we are assigned. I am not allowed to even talk to my hubby about things as well, even if it was someone we know. it would be unusual for housekeeping to look at files because there is no need for them to know anything about a client, even if they had AIDS. They are supposed to be using universal precautions on everything just as muchas the nurses/doctors do. Sorry to be so long winded, but a lot of people do not realize how serious this is and how serious (at least where I am) this kind of confidentiality is taken.
I am not at all saying you are wrong so please don't take it that way. But, in my experience (I was injured 5 years ago and have had numerous procedures etc done over the 5 years), even the house keepers know why people are in the hospital. Even as a visitor or can practically guess, if its a contagious disease it is on the door, do not enter unless you have a mask, etc...I am not saying its wrong to post it, but by doing so everyone has a good idea as to what you "might" have. Charts hang at the bottom of the beds. There are alot of things that "give away" your illness. Also there is a network, that Doctors report things to that most people don't even know exist. They report all your illness to them. Thats how insurance companies know you have pre-exisiting conditions. My doctor TOLD ME this, this isn't a hearsay type thing he honestly told me. Also if you test positive for certain things like aids they are required by law to report it then the health dept. contacts you to discuss all your sexual partners etc...this is a fact I have know a few people with aids that have gone through this.
Things use to be better years ago and people still cared about being ethical, I know there are alot who still practice ethics but as a whole most do not.

[buglebe]

HIPPA and OSHA both have good rules and good intentions but people working in a hospital know the rules are not always followed. Think about just the nurses and doctors who have access to charts. Each 24 hrs has 2 and sometimes 3 shifts depending on the hospital and whether they are working 8 or 12 hr shifts. Assuming they are working 8 hr shifts, that is 3 charge nurses for 5 days and 3 more for the other 3 days. Then there are the nurses who work under the charge nurse who has 6 or 8 patients. Then there are the PCA's who chart vital signs on the chart. Nurses don't have the same patients everyday. Depending on who is off each day the nurse could be at the other end of the hall. Or she could be floated to another floor. Nurses know each other from other floors. A nurse pulled to another floor where she knows other nurses will sometimes be told which charts to look at if she gets a chance. In a teaching hospital students look at a chart and medica students and the list goes on. Doctors sit at the nurses station and discuss interesting or unusual cases with housekeepers around. Lab personel put pages on the chart. Resp, physical therapy, unit secretaries, pharmacist put notes on charts. Most of the time everyone is too busy to watch what chart everyone else is looking at. The charts are audited for missed charges by hospital personel. They are audited by OSHA to see things are properly documented. A lot of that is neccessary. The more a nurse can know about a patient the better nurse she can be. As with any profession they are made up of people. And people are human. People are not supposed to steal or cheat on their spouses but it happens every day. If you look back at some of the people who see the chart you can see that even if no one said a word to each other a lot of people are out there who know what is going on. Things are not as they should be.

[janelle]

The new HIPPA laws are changing how info is handled. I know my hubby had to fire a person in the office cause she was going into the computer and looking at charts she had no business seeing. They can tell who looked at what. It's recorded. I think the snooping will be cut out a lot with the new laws.

My SIL is a nurse and they have all had training on the new laws. Their are even some questions the nurses cannot ask a patient cause it's not important to the case.

Just think how it use to be. Any person working in a doc's office could look through anyone's chart and learn all kinds of interesting things about their neighbors or aquantances. The new HIPPA laws are stopping this.

[llbriteyes]

Yeah... I believe it. And now they want to make your medical records available to any medical personnel who deems it necessary. We're one step away from the chip they will implant in your body with all your medical records, dental, credit reports, etc. Big Brother is closer than you think.


Linda