Two hospital employees fired for posting patient photos online
Credentialing & Verification Update, September 23, 2008
Two employees at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) were fired for using cameras on their cell phones to photograph patients undergoing treatment, then posting the snapshots on MySpace Web pages, the Associated Press reports.
The pictures were close ups of traumatic injuries and did not show the patients' faces. Nonetheless, a hospital spokesperson told reporters that UNMH values patient privacy "very, very highly and we will do everything we can to protect them. We just won't tolerate unprofessional actions by any of our staff. We just won't stand for that."
The incident serves as an important reminder to all healthcare employees that patient confidentiality comes first. When in doubt about whether disclosing information would violate patient privacy, don't share it!
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