What about EMR and confidentiality? sm
Posted By: anonamiss on 2009-02-25
In Reply to: EMR - TravelinMT
Have a bad neighbor who is a CNA (the worst-behaved person, drinks, yells, swears all day) and she now has access to medical records at a hospital. Someone was in the hospital anonymously but she proudly announced she "found" them and what was wrong with them, etc. How are we going to prevent people working in hospitals or nursing homes, etc., from accessing ours or our loved ones medical records? I see one heck of a mess here! My doc went EMR and now I am very careful what I say to him, some things I should tell him, I do not because I don't want it read by the whole neighborhood. What's your opinion on this?
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Ever hear of confidentiality? nm
nm
PS to confidentiality breach
I should have said they "had" their confidentiality breached by others. The hospital was very apologetic of this and does not know who did it but called in federal investigators to find the source of the poster on the website.
security, confidentiality, etc...
I also have a home computer and all the same programs on a laptop to use when I travel. It's no different than my home computer. When I type at home, I am typing in my living room with my husband and son moving all around me. (We're remodeling right now.) They respect that what I am typing is no one's business and they have never even offered to look or ask what's going on. Furthermore, this is a family computer, not provided by work. They are on the computer quite alot when I'm not. The program in which I transcribe is password protected and the information on patients is not stored locally, but on a server 1000 miles from here. That's about as secure as you can get. Then, that is not to mention that I have a wireless network here at home, as well as when I travel. With a password and a good firewall, security is just not an issue. Also, see the post from Just Me a few down, about networks. She is correct. (I also have worked in IT for many years.) Hotels ARE secure networks with original passwords. The last one I worked in had to give me a new password daily. Working at McDonald's or an Internet Cafe is what wouldn't be safe.
As for the laptop... like I said for my main job, no patient information is stored on my hard drive, but at a server away from me. I have a local account also, and once I do the work and send it in, it is deleted. I personally don't see the concern. There's not any point when I'm traveling that I have patient data stored on the laptop. The only way anyone could get patient information off of it is if they bust in the door while I'm working and jerk it from me mid-note.
Patient confidentiality
I remember when I first started out in MT in a hospital part of medical records confidentiality agreement was that we only had access to records on an as needed basis and were not to be talking to anyone about the things we transcribed even if it was a relative, family member, etc. That was gee now close to 10 years ago.
I know like others on the board, it would be nice to know what EMR will mean for all of us. If we are to be out of jobs, I would sure like to know now so that I can start planning financially. Also, as I have been searching for more information on implementation of EMRs, the more I get concerned myself about my personal information possibly being spread. Given my still rather young age of 31 and having no medical conditions requiring medical attention/medication, it really makes me wonder if I may want to look more into alternative medical care or a private physician who has alternative medicine in addition to medicine as we currently know it.
Confidentiality Agreement
Does anyone have a generic confidentiality agreement that they use for their clients. I have new doc, and I don't have any agreement in my file. I have signed theirs, but do not have one to offer the new doc. Anybody have one or know where I can find one? Thanks so much.
Confidentiality Agreement
There was an Agreement of Confidentialty that was posted on 05/20/09 by DeeAnn. that was really good. Hope this helps.
I have never signed a confidentiality notice that says
I can't mention what account I type on - I know they always say not to contact that place or try to get a job with them, etc., and I don't see the big deal either. I can't see why a company would care if someone knows what hospital you type for. I guess some places are just different, but seeing as how I assume she hasn't signed anything since she just accepted the job, I really don't see how they could not hire her because she mentioned that, not knowing that they didn't want her to. That's just my opinion though.
Hospital confidentiality breach in RI.
A hospital in Rhode Island breached patient information of over 2000. Federal investigation underway. Patient's names, SS#, telephone, etc., put out for all to see and caught by a patient who "googled" her own name. They say it was only face sheet info and hospital offered to pay for credit check or credit fraud alert. (Which is free by the way!) So please be careful who you get involved with. I don't believe it was medical transcription or medical records since it was face sheet information but believe me, all subcontractors to this hospital are now on alert and you should be as well. It's out there! The scum bags who post info are at it again. They also had a scandal at a RI supermarket chain where the credit card swiping machines were altered by crooks who are being charged with federal crimes, two would keep the cashiers busy while another would alter the card swiping machine, put it back to collect information, then come in again, take out the swiping info and people as far away as California were charging to these poor innocent people in RI whose cards were swiped while doing their weekly shopping. So don't think your information is safe anywhere. These stories can be confirmed by the local newspaper in RI, "The Providence Journal" at their website, "projo.com". Check it out!!
Absolutely Not. That is against HIPAA and will cause confidentiality breaches, nm
x
You should have signed a confidentiality agreement which allows you to type this unless-
you do not feel comfortable typing it, in which case I would ask my supe to reassign it.
The buck stops with you (all of us). What confidentiality means is
that you/me, the MT, do not discuss the name and contents of a report with anyone outside the immediate realm of responsibility and only within a professional context.
If you feel really uncomfortable with doing it and have the option of sending it back for someone else to do, that acceptable but not entirely necessary.
If you *have* to do a report on someone you know, do it, and put it out of your mind. If you see that person, you cannot discuss anything about it with them, even if they ask. The onus is upon us to keep.our.mouths.shut. That is all that confidentiality entails.
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when you work for a national, you sign a confidentiality agreement...?
the same rules would apply, and you must have signed a confidentiality agreement with whomever you work for. you can be fired, if breached.
my opinion, as a professional, you transcribe it and mums the word...
when I worked in a hospital, someone was caught 'sharing' information about the CEO from a transcription report, and was fired on the spot.
It's a written rule in some companies confidentiality agreement.
I know my company has it as a written rule so it just is not good business. I would think an MT would know this
IMO, you violated a patient's confidentiality by even posting about this - that you transcribed t
I know you didn't give any personal info, but even mentioning this in a public forum on the "world wide web" - I don't know, I would consider that a violation of medical record confidentiality. I know some may post a sentence or a blooper or something, but this is probably something I would have kept to myself... I am sure you thought what an interesting coincidence when you show the show, but my opinion is you should have kept it to yourself, and if I was the transcription supervisor at your hospital and I found out you had posted on this.... well I would think that would be reason for discipline. No offense meant, just my opinion.
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