Thirty-two employees were fired from two hospitals in Minnesota after they viewed electronic records belonging to patients who were hospitalized after overdosing at a house party, according to a report in the Minnesota Star-Tribune. The employees, who worked at Unity Hospital in Fridley and Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, do have access to certain records, but in this instance, had no legitimate reason to view the documents. As hospitals transition to electronic health care records, more instances of unauthorized access, such as cases last year in California, have cropped up.
Consumers are not familiar enough with the dangers of medical identity theft, according to a Ponemon study released this week.
Despite facing stricter privacy and security regulations, hospitals still are struggling to protect patient information, and breaches cost the health care industry $6 billion annually, according to a new study.
The Health Council of Canada released a report that warns that the lack of an integrated EHR is leading family physicians to order unnecessary medications and diagnostic tests.
