Jun 15, 2010

Under a law passed after breaches of celebrity medical records, such as those of the late actress Farrah Fawcett, health officials yesterday levied six fines totaling $675,000 against five California hospitals where employees and others gained unauthorized access to sensitive information in patients' electronic medical records.
State officials did not name any of the patients involved, but one of them was said to be Michael Jackson, whose records were reportedly accessed illegally at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles after his death.
"These facilities failed to prevent unauthorized access to confidential patient information," Kathleen Billingsley, deputy director of the Center for Health Care Quality, California Department of Public Health, said during a briefing yesterday.
"Medical privacy is a fundamental right, and every Californian seeking care in a hospital should not have to worry about who is viewing their medical information, she said. "We remain concerned with violations of patient confidentiality and the potential harm to patients."
California may have the most aggressive patient privacy laws in the nation. CDPH spokesman Ralph Montano says state officials "are not aware of any other state with similar laws."
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Additional links:

http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/LED-252360/Six-Major-Patient-Record-Breaches-Draw-675000-In-Penalties