Paul Caldwell wrote:
> Just seen a 17 yr old girl with her nurse mum. Did some bloods on her
> a few days ago for amenorrhoea but -ve PT. Her mum, a senior nurse at
> a local hospital, accessed her daughters results thru her wards path
> link. Neither did daughter give consent to this. Incredibly the
> system quite allows her to do this. The daughter has a v high
> prolactin and not surprisingly both are v upset having just looked up
> the causes on the internet.
> Wot should i do? I'm appalled on 2 accounts: 1. the mums action,
> presumably a grave professional misconduct, 2. that the Link allows
> her to do this.
>
> If I complain about the mum, I'll destroy any relationship with the
> family at a time when daughter could be having a serious illness.
Recently visited Belgium in connection with roll-out of digital
radiology across Fife. We discussed the problem of confidentiality with
the Chief of Radiology. His hospital had recently dismissed (yes -
dismissed) a consultant radiologist who had looked up a report on a
friend's son as a favour. Although the radiologists have the right to
access any report on the system, such access is recorded in an audit
trail, and if there is no demonstrable clinical need for the access
dismissal is the punishment.
It's obviously important for clinical staff - especially in an admitting
unit - to have unfettered access to relevant information on patients in
their care, but I believe the audit records should be actively checked
for inappropriate access and appropriate disciplinary measures promptly
and visibly taken.
In this instance, it doesn't matter whether the daughter consented or
not, the mother's access to the lab results was not necessary for the
clinical care of the daughter.
--
Michael
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