ROSETOWN, Sask. – An employee at a Saskatchewan health region has been fired for a privacy breach. Officials with the Heartland Health Region said the employee accessed the health charts of approximately 900 patients.
Officials said they became aware of an alleged privacy breach in July.
Their investigation found that over a 14-month period, the employee accessed health charts stored in an electronic medical record system.
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All patients who were affected by the privacy breach have been notified by letter, along with the Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner, the Ministry of Health and eHealth Saskatchewan.
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Officials say they are taking steps to reduce the risk of future breaches.
That includes reviewing and limiting access to ensure the security and safety of personal health information and reviewing internal approval and authorization processes when new electronic systems are implemented.
Other steps include developing a process to regularly audit and monitor electronic systems and reviewing staff education on patient privacy.
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