F0583

D

Unsecured Computer Screen Exposed Resident Health Information

Austin, Texas Survey Completed on 02-27-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified a failure to protect a resident’s personal health information when an RN left a charting computer on 300 Hall open and unattended with the resident’s clinical information visible on the screen. On 2/27/2026 at 10:12 a.m., observation showed the computer at the RN’s charting station was unlocked and displaying Resident #1’s personal clinical information, which could be seen by unauthorized individuals walking in the hallway, including visitors, other residents, or staff. Other nursing staff were observed walking near the charting station at the time, and the RN did not return to the computer until 10:15 a.m.

During interviews, the RN stated she had received HIPAA in-service training five months earlier, which included instructions not to share private clinical information with unauthorized individuals and to lock the computer screen when stepping away. She acknowledged that everyone using charting computers was responsible for closing and locking them when not in attendance and admitted she was at fault for not locking the computer before answering a call light. The Administrator reported that he had received HIPAA training upon hire and again a few months prior, and that all staff received HIPAA in-services upon hire and annually, with the last one in September 2025. The DON stated the facility’s HIPAA policy required minimizing charting computer screens when stepping away and that staff working with private clinical information should lock the screen before walking away. Record review confirmed the RN had completed HIPAA in-service on 09/17/2026 and that facility policies on Privacy Notice and Resident Rights prohibited unauthorized release, access, or disclosure of resident information and required maintaining privacy of patient health information.