Unattended Computer Exposes Resident Medical Records
Penalty
Summary
A medication aide (MA) left her computer unattended and unlocked, displaying multiple resident profiles with photos and names visible on the screen. This occurred when the MA stepped away from her medication cart to check for a medication in the medication room, leaving the computer accessible and exposing confidential resident information. The MA acknowledged during an interview that she had forgotten to lock the computer and recognized this as a violation of privacy and confidentiality policies, as well as a potential HIPAA violation. She also confirmed that she had previously received in-service training on protecting resident medical records. The facility's policy on confidentiality, reviewed as part of the investigation, states that all personal and medical records must be kept secure and confidential, regardless of the form or location of storage. The administrator confirmed in an interview that staff are required to always protect resident medical records, and failure to do so places residents at risk of having their privacy invaded. The incident was observed and confirmed through interviews and record review, demonstrating a failure to safeguard resident information as required by facility policy.