Health Information Management

Job title influences discipline for staff involved in Spears' privacy breach

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, April 21, 2008

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UCLA physicians involved in the privacy breach involving Britney Spears’ medical records received penalties that were less severe than the disciplinary action taken against other staff members involved in the incident according to an April 12 article in the Los Angeles Times.

None of the 14 UCLA physicians who viewed the pop star’s records despite lack of any involvement in her care resigned or lost their jobs, according to the article. However, 18 of the 39 nonphysician staff members have quit, retired or were terminated after doing so.

State health inspector reports released April 11 state that the same standards should apply to all staff members, and that everyone involved should face the same discipline for violations, according to the article. UCLA has since announced plans to create a high-level committee to review privacy policies and to ensure that equal penalties will apply in the future.

"Historically, doctors have been treated in a way that may be more lenient than non-physicians, and we will address that," Dr. David Feinberg, chief executive of the UCLA Hospital System, told the Los Angeles Times.

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