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My premail
Oct 10, 2012, 09:40 PM
I was at a hospital for a CT scan and X Rays which I was told would be transferred through the hospitals compter system to the ER doctor to give me my results. Unfortunately the ER doctor emailed my scans to an email at a private residence for an opinion of those scans without my consent? Anyone in that household could have been looking at my personal medical records in relation to this visit. Was this a violation of HIPAA regulations?
A. Lang

J_9
Oct 10, 2012, 09:42 PM
This is a gray area. Most likely he was looking for an expert consultation. If the doctor that was consulted is indeed licensed, chances are that there is no violation.

Most medical professionals do not allow everyone in the household to have the username and/or password of a professional account.

Fr_Chuck
Oct 10, 2012, 10:00 PM
Sending it would not be a violation, it would be sent to the doctor at home, 1000's of records are sent to doctors home, who often work there, all the time. Other doctors can even access hosptial files and records from their home computers.

Email requires a password and user name, so it is protected from other family of the doctor seeing it.

If that doctor, at home, showed it to someone, he is in violation, for showing, it, not the hospital for sending it.