Data privacy in electronic health records (EHR)

Nancy Wood4 said:but who’s actually going to report them? especially when most people don't even realize what's happening in the first place.

As for the digital health records, I honestly doubt they're going to migrate every single scrap of old data—that sounds like an absolute nightmare of a task. Ugh, we'll just have to wait and see, I guess. But seriously, what are we even doing? It's the 21st century; America can't just stay stuck in the Stone Age forever.

Regarding those electronic records, I'm pretty sure all the old info has already been logged, though I have no clue who actually has access to what at this point.

This probably isn't the most appropriate forum for this—I'm not entirely sure where else to turn—but does anyone happen to know the extent of what front desk staff might be able to see? For instance, if you're at the gynecology department in a hospital, do they have access to your full medical records—meaning, everything you've undergone there or any specific conditions you've been treated for? Does anyone have any insight into this? Is it even possible for them to just look things up like that? Would a Social Security number or some other ID be enough for them to pull all that information?

They shouldn't have access in the first place, and even if they do, they better keep their mouths shut about it.

melloworca6 said:They shouldn't have access—and even if they do, they aren't supposed to be gossiping about it.

I know, I really do—but when you're dealing with someone you actually know, or perhaps even a family member working behind the counter at the clinic... well, it just isn't always comfortable, is it? They don't need to know every single detail, obviously. Surely they don't have the spare time to go digging through everyone's medical histories and such?

Honestly, I don’t think the people at the front desk have any clue what’s actually going on. The admins sitting there typing up outpatient charts? They see everything—they find the discharge papers just like the doctors dictate them—but they can't say a damn word unless they're looking to get fired.

It really depends on the hospital system. In some places, doctors have full access to everything—every test result, every department visit, all the medical history and data collected within that network.

Down at our local hospital in Seattle, the clerks don't have access to actual medical records, but they can see where a patient is staying or where they were previously located and during what timeframe. Every staff member logs in with their own code, but they’re strictly limited to what’s necessary for their job. For instance, since I'm just a technician, I can check lab results, which departments a patient visited, and when surgeries took place, but I can't touch diagnoses or specialist reports. The only way a clerk would know the specifics is if they're working on billing, then they'll see exactly what procedures were performed.

Even if they do have access, I highly doubt they're legally allowed to go around blabbing about what they've read. 🤷

At the local health department, you aren't dealing with mere "clerks" behind a desk; you are interacting with lab technicians or, occasionally, actual engineers.
I have the capacity to review every single test performed over the last several years within a specific laboratory, including the exact results, though naturally, such information remains strictly confidential.
They won't hand over those findings to anyone—not even to your mother, father, sister, or a cousin—if the request is being made in person.
As for how things operate within the hospital system, I am entirely in the dark.

This is a pretty heavy topic and kind of awkward... I have a friend who's stressing out because a close family member could easily find out she had an abortion a few years back (they work the front desk at the OBGYN clinic). That relative doesn't even have to go telling people; just knowing they have access to that info is really messing with her head. Like, if she shows up for prenatal care next time, is that person actually going to see her old records? She’s convinced they will, though she hopes they won't bother looking back through her history... just that curiosity factor. Even if the person keeps it to themselves, just the fact that it's so easy to dig up is super uncomfortable.

ruggeddrifter14 said:Back at our hospital in a place like Seattle, the admin staff doesn't have access to your full medical files, but they can see where a patient is staying or where they were treated and during what timeframe. Every employee logs in with their own credentials, but they're restricted to their specific scope of work. For instance, as a technician, I can pull up lab results and see which departments a patient visited or when surgeries happened, but I can't touch diagnoses or specialist reports. The only way an admin would know exactly what was done is if they’re handling billing for specific tests.

I was talking about the major hospital system here.

My bad for using the word "clerk"—let's just call them administrative staff. As for the health department, obviously they aren't handing out results to just anyone. They send everything straight to the doctor who issued the referral. If you want to pick up a hard copy or a transcript of your records, you have to show up in person and pay a fee of maybe $4.75 if I remember correctly... though things might have changed since I dealt with this last year.

My mom and my husband both went down to the local health department to pick up some medical records, and they handled everything without any drama at all

ruggeddrifter14 said:Down at our local hospital in Seattle, the admin staff can't actually dig through your private files, but they can see where you were staying or if you've been there recently. Everyone uses their own login, but access is pretty restricted to what they need for their job. Like, as a tech, I can check lab results or see which departments you visited and when you had surgery, but I can't touch diagnoses or specialist reports. The only way an admin would know the specifics is if they're handling the billing for certain tests.

So you're saying someone over in OB-GYN could basically track exactly what a patient did and find their discharge papers and everything?

Donna Castillo14 said:So you're telling me someone on the OB-GYN floor can just look up her entire history, see everything she did there, and find her discharge papers?

If they have access to the medical records archive—you know, where the actual physical charts and history are kept—then yeah, they can. They might see on the computer that she was seen in OB-GYN, but they won't necessarily see the "why," and they definitely won't be able to pull up a discharge summary on a standard terminal. Besides, even archive access is strictly limited... she shouldn't be getting anywhere near that data. And honestly, who’d even bother digging through all that? Plus, only a doctor is actually authorized to open specialist reports anyway.

Sophia Morris3 said:The people at the public health clinics aren't "clerks" behind a desk; they’re technicians or sometimes engineers.
I can see everything done in a lab over the last few years, including the results, but obviously, nobody talks about it.
They don't hand out results even to your mom, dad, sister, or cousin if you go in personally.
As for how things work at the hospital, I have no clue.

I took this question as being general—basically, whether the people working the front desks at hospitals can see someone's test results and medical data...

In most hospitals, administrative staff handle various counters, typing up reports and such. Most of them don't have any medical training, but it's entirely possible they get a look at your private info. Someone typing an outpatient sheet, a lab result, or a discharge summary can definitely know your medical business without being a doctor or a nurse.

Donna Castillo14 said:This topic is interesting and honestly pretty awkward. I have a friend who's worried because a very close family member could easily find out (they work the desk in OBGYN) that she had an abortion a few years ago. That family member doesn't even have to spread the word; just the fact that they *know* is enough to be devastating. Can that person at the desk actually figure it out when she shows up at the OBGYN next time while pregnant? She's convinced they can, though she hopes they won't bother looking back through her files from years ago... digging for info. Even if the person seeing the data doesn't gossip, the mere fact that the information is so easy to access is just uncomfortable.

Look, if it's going to be that much of a burden, the doctors or nurses who performed the procedure already know.

I don't know what the current landscape looks like, but about a year ago, people were getting hammered by door-to-door salesmen from all sorts of companies. They’d show up peddling all kinds of gadgets and medical aids, claiming they were tailored "specifically for your exact health condition." It’s pretty obvious someone was leaking private data somewhere along the line.

Look, here’s the reality: I know for a fact that at my hospital—and I’m talking about a small-town facility out here—they have access to absolutely everything you've ever done. I saw it firsthand when my doctor was looking at my ultrasound and said, "Wow, your blood pressure is through the roof." I was just like, "Huh?" And he goes, "Well, I see you were admitted on this specific date for these exact reasons."

The idea that they aren't allowed to talk? That's a total myth. Don't count on it. My neighbor is a nurse, and there isn't a single thing she doesn't know about anyone who walks into her unit. It's not even like we pry; she just tells us. Between her and a friend of mine who works at a pharmacy, we know everything. Who's on birth control, who's taking psych meds... the whole list.

I used to work at a government agency where nothing is supposed to "leak," yet every single day, the boss would be checking people's records. For herself, for others... it happened constantly.

Get ready, because nothing is actually a secret. I have quite a few diagnoses myself, and whenever I go for a job interview, I go in expecting them to already know. For one specific position, I am 100% certain my info leaked. They actually offered me the contract right there, and we just had to tweak a few details we discussed, but then suddenly, they decided not to hire me. I found out later that the director is actually my husband's coworker in the department where I occasionally visit... I highly doubt that was a coincidence.

all in all, privacy is dead and everything's leaking... just gross.

Yeah... in places where everything is still handled on paper instead of being fully digital—though I honestly don't know if a hospital like that even exists anymore, since everywhere in my small town is completely synced up—data doesn't travel around much. But once everything is "in the system," any random person can see it. All they need is your Social Security number or something similar to pull up your entire file. People talk about it all the time. And honestly, having that kind of digital access to your private info is incredibly sketchy.

Honestly, anyone who thinks this isn't obvious is just being naive. I mean, if someone actually cares enough to look...😁they'll definitely find the data.
Just look back at 2013—it shows you exactly where human rights stood then.🙄