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Business owner concerned about health record breach

Jan 10, 2018 | 4:00 PM

A local computer shop owner is frustrated after repeatedly receiving confidential health records on the company fax machine.

Darryl Arnold, who owns Kelly’s Computer Works, said he received a 21-page medical report from Shellbrook Hospital on Tuesday that should have gone to a local North Battleford area doctor instead.

On a previous occasion he received documents from the Saskatoon Health Authority.

He forwarded the reports to the correct recipients but wants to know when the matter will be resolved since this type of incident has happened to him eight or nine times. 

“I don’t want to deal with this,” Arnold added. “I don’t have time to deal with this… I have a business to run. Probably the worst part is I feel bad for the patients who have all their information being faxed to me. Their doctor is probably waiting for that information to make some educated decisions as to how he is going to proceed with their care.” 

Arnold has contacted the Saskatchewan Health Authority as well as the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner in Regina. He said he’s concerned about the breach of health information and the patients affected, but would also like to be done with the hassle. 

“I’m pretty frustrated,” he said. 

Doug Dahl, communications officer with the Saskatchewan Health Authority said the matter is being looked into and he hoped it doesn’t happen again.

He said unfortunately there is a one digit difference in fax numbers which likely caused the mix-up, adding patient confidentiality is of the highest priority. 

“As with any potential privacy breach this will be reported in accordance to our policy procedures,” he added. “And an investigation has begun into what happened.”

Dahl said as part of the process the health authority alerts the Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner and any patient involved is also notified in writing. 

He said the former Saskatoon Health Region had “put a solution in place” to reduce the risk of this happening again.

“Unfortunately, the most recent occurrence was from a different facility, in a different health region,” he said. “As part of the investigation there will be recommendations on how to ensure this error isn’t repeated.”

 

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

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