UCLA workers snooped in Britney Spears' medical records

[Trixie]

You realize how many people have legitimate access to medical records if you're admitted to a hospital, even as a celeb and on the down low? Personally, I wouldn't risk my liscense by revealing anything. Neither would anyone else I know or work with. So I don't see what the BFD is.

Well, for me the question is...what is "legitimate access?" If you're not involved in the patient's care, should you be allowed to nose around just because you're curious, and because you can?

[MsDark]

If she's admitted, everything goes in the computer. After that anyone who might be responsible for her care has access. This includes all docs and nurses on the unit where she's staying, and any areas she's transferred to. In our hosp, even if I'm not the nurse providing the actual care that day...say, it's another nurse down the hall from me...I can still go into the computer and look up and chart whatever I need to on her. But I would have no need to do so unless I was either covering for her nurse taking a break, or maaaaybe if I had to rush in and assist with something. Not the same thing as not being able to look at all, but...you see what I mean.

It's unrealistic in a hospital setting to only have one or two docs and nurses with access to some patient's records, because anything can happen. She might not be my scheduled patient for the day, but I might suddenly need to access her records. I'm sure that anything non-relevant to her current situation doesn't have to be on her chart, but that's a tough call deciding what shit to leave out of someone's medical records. Even things most people think wouldn't be pertinent might actually be vital info the staff needs to be aware of to treat her.

[moomies]

If the medical records were legitimately accessed, it won't be called a "breach," and docs won't face disciplinary charges. There are rules/privacy laws in place for a reason.

[MsDark]

Exactly. If she were a patient in my hospital on my unit where I could look at her chart, I'm within my rights to do so. But the second I reveal anything to anyone (including on here), I've breached.

[Trixie]

Ok, fair enough. I suppose even though she's in the psych ward, someone in say, the cardiac ward, might need quick access if she suddenly has a reaction to a drug or something. And I don't mean to imply that most hospital workers wouldn't keep those records confidential. I guess I'm just thinking of the ones who don't and then the next thing you know there's the Patrick Swayze cancer story in the National Enquirer.

[Chimera]

Only her physicians should have the pw to her records. Simple. Just fix it.

[MsDark]

I guess there's always gonna be a risk for celebs then. That's why I'll never understand why she does so much to call attention to herself and make matters even worse. If she lived life on the down-low in the manner of several people way more famous (and for way longer) than herself, then maybe people wouldn't give as much of a shit about snooping, and there wouldn't be paps willing to pay outrageous sums to people to tempt a 'breach'.

It's harder to respect someone who's not even trying to live their own life and want some shit private, but who constantly lets it all hang out and has a pathological 'need' to have everyone know her business and comment on it, even if the comments are negative. I actually think she enjoys that attention even more, cause then she can whine "poor me" and feel sorry for self. Stop calling paps and letting them know your every move, dumb bitch.

[greysfang]

This is disgusting. Didn't this already happen at this hospital in the case of Dennis Quaid's children?

I think that was George Clooney. When he had his motorcycle accident a whole bunch of workers snooped his files and someone sold some info to the media. So since they didn't know who was the stooge, everyone got disciplined.

Only her physicians should have the pw to her records. Simple. Just fix it.

Not true, the nurse, pharmacist, specialist, etc., would also require access.

[McJag]

I think this more a question of ethics. The hospital has a right to expect employees to tend to patients in their direct care, not to amuse themselves on company time (that they are being paid for)
and breach the privacy of any patient. I don't know about you all, but any medical condition of mine better stay private. This is inexcusable on the part of any hospital employee. A patient needs care and concern-not having his/her records stared at like a museum exhibit and shared with all their friends, at the very least.

[MsDark]

Well, at the very least, you'd get fired at my hospital for breach of confidentiality. At worst, you could lose your liscense and get your ass sued for untold sums.

Shitters and her stupid, fucked up medical past is definitely not worth it.

[ordell]

Well, if she is the singer with HIV that EL has been talking about, we're gonna know soon.

[msdeb]

i wonder how much the people that snooped were paid by TMZ and the like.

[NoNoRehab]

Really? You wouldn't care if you were involuntarily committed to the mental hospital on a 5150, and people who knew you, or knew of you, were reading your confidential medical records just because they were nosy?

No, because I wouldn't know about it. Do you know how many people in a hospital have seen your records?

I worked in a place with financial records and I saw a lot of people's shit in their files and people who I knew, too. Never told them that, tho.

Between hospitals and insurance companies I bet at least 50 people have seen my medical records and I'm not famous. I couldn't tell you who any of those people are and frankly I don't give a shit.

And what if they didn't keep it to themselves? Ok, maybe they didn't release it to your local newspaper, but just gossiped about it with your friends and neighbors? That's ok with you, because you had no expectation of privacy??

My expectation of privacy extends only to them not revealing the information. And there's nothing in that article about any workers selling or speaking about the info, just looking at it. And you shouldn't get disciplined for looking at something you've already been given the rights to access (by virtue of being a doctor or nurse there with access to all patient files on a system).

My mom worked on a psych ward and she never talked about who her patients were but I bet she looked at the records of whoever was on her floor.

[WesCAdle]

It would not surprise me in the least to find she or her wonderful ex management groups were responsible for this and plan to gain financially on both fronts - first for realeasing them and then for siuing the hospital, etc. She is just whack enough to pull something like this. I do however, agree with the others that this information should be kept private so that's what makes me think she had something to do with it. Plus isn't she hurting for cash now after burning through $60 million in a year?

[NoNoRehab]

With her not only yapping but screwing and letting anybody with two legs and dick into not only her house but also giving them all her financial info I would have a hard time believing anything leaked about her didn't come straight from her (and gee who else noticed the lack of x17 coverage and general quiet from the britney direction since Sam Lufti got kicked out and her dad took away her cell phone etc?)