Hospital Workers Suspended for Peeking at George Clooney's Medical Info

[student456]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=3710322&page=1

Staff members at Palisades Medical Center have been suspended for allegedly peeking at actor George Clooney's confidential medical information after he was hurt in a motorcycle accident last month.

[NursingAgainstdaOdds]

They're lucky they weren't fired. Four weeks without pay is a pretty mild penalty, IMO.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I agree with the punishment -- and hope that nurses and nursing groups support that punishment publically. Behavior like this jeopardizes the health of celebreties who may hesitate to seek the health care they out of fear of public disclosure. It also makes us all look really bad.

Throw the book at them -- and make sure the public is told that we don't support that type of behavior.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

The penalty fit the crime. It is expected that when you enter the hospital, info will be passed out on a need to know basis only. Everyone deserves the same right to privacy; be they a co-worker, a neighbor, family friend, or celebrity.

[cmo421]

The penalty fit the crime. It is expected that when you enter the hospital, info will be passed out on a need to know basis only. Everyone deserves the same right to privacy; be they a co-worker, a neighbor, family friend, or celebrity.

agreed!

[Alibaba]

The penalty fit the crime. It is expected that when you enter the hospital, info will be passed out on a need to know basis only. Everyone deserves the same right to privacy; be they a co-worker, a neighbor, family friend, or celebrity.

Couldn't have been said better!

[catlynLPN]

Their punishment could have been much worse.

They could have been fired plus had some kind of charges

pressed against them.

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

dr's were suspended too... wow.. the heck with the records .. i would go see george... who cares about his CT scan.. i want to see him... what a hunk.. i don't know why they didn't john doe him on admit.. we have had a couple famous people and they come in as john doe.

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

True violation. ButIMHO a large pay cut/even a drop in "rank" for x number of days/months/years might make others aware you can't get away with this.

Confronted by stares from your peers has a great censure value.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I agree, throw the book at them.

I brought this issue up at a recent orientation at my new job regarding computer access to patient records. I asked if a nurse can look at any patient's records, not just the nurse's own patients. The answer is yes, but they are not supposed to.

I had a "friend" who worked at this hospital before I did but at the same time that I had my baby. She told me that she looked up my records and read the delivery report.

There is no safeguard . . except getting caught and getting in trouble.

steph

[rnmomtobe2010]

:yeahthat:

Why didn't they just peek at George?

[rn-jane]

They really should have been fired, the staff knew better. How many times is hippa drilled into our heads about patient rights and confidentiality. I saw the interview and i think he was really nice about the whole situation.

[jjjoy, LPN]

In regard to whether or not "confidentiality" was breached, it might be that a breach in confidentiality is being defined as a health professional passing on information that had been given to them with the understanding that it wasn't to be shared publicly. Thus, a person sneaking a look at a medical record is a violation of policy and a breach of patient privacy (as in information being kept private) but wouldn't be considered a breach of confidentiality. If the health personnel looked at the records and then shared confidential information (eg patient was treated for an STD) with another (patient's wife, a tabloid) that would be a breach of confidentiality. Just a thought.