You discover a colleague accessing unauthorized patient records. How do you handle this delicate situation?

There’s always a story behind every single thing. It’s important to establish that first before jumping to conclusions. Find out the “why” before diving into the “then what”

This may lead to potential legal implications. Firstly is to report to the supervisor or compliance officer. It is not advisable to confront such colleague. Besides, understanding and reviewing policies are essential likewise continuous training.

I recall a time I found a respected colleague's name on the ward list I was working on. I had genuine concern for this colleague and wondered if there was something I could do to help or relieve their suffering. It was tempting to open their file and see what they had been admitted for but understood it would be unauthorised access to information and an invasion of their privacy. Had I been a patient in their situation, I would appreciate professionalism and discretion from my colleagues. Satisfaction of curiosity does not justify unauthorised access to personal information. Instead I brought a couple of magazines and a small bunch of flowers and asked the attending nurse to pass them on.

Handling a colleague accessing unauthorized patient records requires a methodical approach due to its ethical and legal implications. Begin by documenting the incident with specific details like time and records accessed for future investigation. Report the breach promptly to appropriate authorities such as supervisors or compliance officers, ensuring confidentiality throughout. Follow organizational protocols rigorously to address the issue legally. Cooperate fully if an investigation ensues, reflecting on ethical considerations and seeking advice if needed. Use the incident to review and improve confidentiality policies, fostering a supportive environment for addressing such concerns promptly and responsibly.

Carefully observe and note the details of the unauthorized access, including dates, times, and the specific records accessed. Maintain a factual and unbiased record of what you witnessed. This documentation will be crucial in the subsequent steps.

Make a memorandum of record and document time, place, information accessed and as accurate a description of the conversation with the colleague with specific quotes. Email this to yourself if you have a separate email account and to the chief of service.

If it occurred intentionally, go ahead and document each and everything pertaining to this violence. If somebody is a witness, politely address him and professionally record his witness against the breach. Please note that do not personally sort out this with your colleague.

Seu papel é coletar fatos, não interpretá-los ou atribuir culpas. Além de documentar as evidências, é importante consultar as políticas e procedimentos da sua organização sobre como lidar com violações de privacidade. A maioria das instituições de saúde possui diretrizes claras sobre como proceder nesses casos. Isso pode incluir informar um supervisor imediato, o departamento de TI. Siga essas diretrizes à risca para garantir que a situação seja tratada de maneira adequada e profissional.

The evidence is essential to determine what kind of privacy breech occurred, its scope and breadth. That drives mandatory notifications to regulators and patients, or if limited, allows remediation to remain an internal issue. Evidence must include detailed logistics as to when and how records were accessed. This helps to determine what remediation is needed and specifically what gaps in privacy may be problematic.

During my tenure as Director of Informatics, we faced a data breach that caused significant concern among our staff. To address this, I immediately consulted our organization's data breach policy, which outlined the necessary steps for reporting and response. I familiarized myself with the procedures and identified the key individuals and departments to notify, following the established protocol ensured legal compliance and consistent handling of the incident. This protected patient records and reassured our team and stakeholders that we were managing the situation effectively and responsibly.

Generally speaking, this is a reportable event. Hopefully, your institution has a policy in place to address it. Follow the policy. There are always going to be extenuating circumstances; it’s better for you, the institution, and the individuals directly involved, not to make it a one off.

Review your organization's policies and procedures regarding unauthorized access to patient records. This ensures you understand the correct protocol and legal implications. Familiarize yourself with the relevant privacy laws, such as HIPAA, to fully grasp the severity and implications of the breach.

Action taken on PHI breaches should be in accordance with your organization's standard operating procedures. Contact your compliance department and review the policy of breaching and unauthorized access of PHI and report to the concerned department OR individual.

1. Recueiller les faits et les documenter.2. Limiter les discussions sur l'incident aux personnes impliquées et stratégiquement au coeur de la gestion des risques de l'établissement. 3. Signaler l'incident de façon appropriée aux bonnes instances et procédure en vigueur.4. Suivre la procédure interne en situation de violation de la confidentialité. 5. Collaborer avec les autorités compétentes en la matière aux activités d'investigation et fournir les renseignements nécessaires si lieu. 7.Durant tout le processus, prendre en considération de la capacité ou vulnérabilité du système à gérer les accès autorisées vs celles non autorisées et de l'adéquation des normes de sécurité au cadre global de la sécurité des actifs informationnels.

Approach your immediate supervisor or the designated compliance officer to report your observations. It's essential to follow the chain of command to ensure proper handling. Provide your documented evidence and any other relevant information to the appropriate parties.

After getting the policy outlines from the compliance department, confidentially report the incident to both your supervisor and compliance officer. All documents, witnesses, audio/video records and system reports, provide them all with a detail explanations. Cooperate with your organization during this process and support them in every step to avoid such incidents in future.

Seguir esses procedimentos ajuda a garantir que todas as ações tomadas sejam justificadas e proporcionais ao incidente, além de fornecer uma base sólida para qualquer ação legal que possa ser necessária. Consultar e seguir a política da sua organização sobre violações de dados e acesso não autorizado é fundamental para garantir uma resposta adequada e conforme aos incidentes. Isso protege todas as partes envolvidas, assegura a conformidade legal e contribui para a integridade e segurança dos dados dentro da organização.

When you are submitting your information to your privacy officer or supervisor, it is always best to only report the facts that you know and never any speculations.

Cooperate fully with any internal investigation. This may involve providing additional details, attending meetings, or clarifying your observations. Maintain confidentiality throughout the investigation to protect the privacy of all individuals involved.

Ante todo es defender la integridad del paciente, es el principal objetivo para todo centro dedicado al cuidado de la salud. La colaboración a nivel interno para esclarecer los hechos acaecidos y siendo valorados por la autoridad competente hacen que se cumplan este objetivo fundamental y para que en un futuro no se produzcan este tipo de hechos que lo único que hacen es ensuciar el prestigio de todos los profesionales de la profesión

Perhaps one of the most overlooked step is too understand how the clinical information is stored and shared. To prevent misuse of patient information, you need to deal with a balance of « who needs to know » and « timely access ». This requires a risk management approach and a way to continually improve training to staff as well as regular audits on data access.

After the situation is resolved, take time to reflect on what happened and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future. Consider suggesting additional training or awareness programs for staff on the importance of patient privacy and the consequences of unauthorized access. Advocate for a review of current policies and technological safeguards to enhance security measures and reduce the risk of future breaches.

Com as notificações dos erros, torna-se possível classificar e determinar a periodicidade dos incidentes, criando um ambiente culturalmente mais seguro. O registro dos erros possibilita o direcionamento adequado, a implementação de melhorias internas nos sistemas utilizados e a realização de treinamentos multidisciplinares.

What shall be the intent of the person seeing unauthorized patient's records ? How can the confidential information be exploited ? What does the policy says ? Has the organization sensitized the staff about the same scenarios ? Taking these things into considerstion, the staff and the matter has to be tackled amicably. Sensitize staff, keep proper Quality checks, keep revisiting the process, regular audits and proper training shall be the key to avoid such incidences in the organization.

Es necesario realizar un análisis detallado del dilema ético, identificando cuáles principios bioéticos han sido omitidos. Posteriormente, se debe elaborar un informe para el consejo técnico y los pacientes, informándoles de la situación y proponiendo soluciones adecuadas.