Resident Confidentiality Breach Due to Unattended Laptop
Penalty
Summary
The infection preventionist (IP) failed to protect a resident's right to confidentiality by leaving her laptop open and unattended in the hallway with the resident's face sheet displayed on the screen. The face sheet contained sensitive information, including the resident's name, address, date of birth, emergency contact, medical history, medications, allergies, and insurance details. The IP left the laptop on a stand in the hallway and walked away to the lobby to speak with the maintenance director, then continued to another hallway to talk with other staff, leaving the screen visible and accessible to unauthorized individuals. The IP later confirmed during an interview that she had left the laptop open and unattended, acknowledging that she should have closed it before leaving.