Question

identify at least four examples of how the integrity of the medical record can be violated

Answer 1

1.In one HIPAA violation case, a dermatology practice lost an unencrypted flash drive that contained protected health information. The group was fined $150,000 and was required to install a corrective action plan.

2.In 2014, Texas hospital employee Joshua Hippler got an 18 month jail term  for wrongful disclosure of private patient medical information. Hippler was arrested in Georgia and found to be in possession of medical records. Though the filing didn’t say how many records he had, he was charged with wrongful disclosure of private health information for personal gain.

3.In 2016 an orthopedic hired an outside vendor to convert all X-Ray films on file to digital form, then harvest the silver from the films. That’s an ingenious service, but since the clinic didn’t first sign a BAA with the vendor, they violated HIPAA. The OCR ordered the clinic to pay $750,000 and implement a Corrective Action Plan.

4.In 2013, an ABC reality TV show called NY Med filmed two hospital patients without their consent. During filming, one of the patients actually died. The OCR investigated and found that the hospital gave ABC unfettered access, creating a situation where the protection of PHI wasn’t possible. The hospital paid a $2.2 million settlement and instituted a Corrective Action Plan.