InformaticsMD on NPR Affiliate KNPR regarding electronic medical record privacy: St. Rose hospital group used patient information to solicit patient lobbying?

Radio station News 88.9 KNPR, the NPR affiliate in Las Vegas did a segment today on the following news story.  The station's Senior Producer had invited me to participate via phone regarding patient privacy issues.Emphases mine:  http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/federal-complaint-alleges-st-rose-hospitals-violated-patient-privacyFebruary 10, 2014 - Updated  February 11, 2014 Federal complaint alleges St. Rose Hospitals violated patient privacyBy STEVEN SLIVKALAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNALDignity Health, the owner of St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, is facing a federal complaint alleging it violated patient privacy by using patient records as leverage in a contract dispute.According to a Monday announcement from the Nevada Health Services Coalition, Dignity Health used patient records to contact those with coalition member plans after agreements between the two agencies fell through in January, something it contends violates the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. The complaint was filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights.The complaint contends St. Rose contacted former patients in an attempt to persuade them to take action with their health plans favorable to St. Rose. The complaint also said that St. Rose claimed their actions were simply to be “informative.”“It’s our position that patient data collected in the course of medical treatment should not be used to lobby or gain leverage in contra...
Source: Health Care Renewal - Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: Dave Becker Dignity Health Health Services Coalition healthcare IT risk KNPR medical record confidentiality medical record privacy St. Rose hospital group Source Type: blogs