Being a lifelong patient of the Everett Clinic, I have wondered for a long time just how secure my medical records really are. I was pleased to find out that the clinic takes protecting my privacy seriously. When I go in to visit any doctor in the clinic and I recognize the person handling my records I wonder if they take a “peek” at my records or not. It is good to know that the clinic has procedures in place to prevent the idle curiosity of individuals who have no business accessing my records.
If any of the fired Everett Clinic employees think that they were justified in accessing records, then they made the decision to violate the rights of the clinic patients. Any patient, regardless of who they are, has a right to expect that their records are guarded by policies that are strictly enforced.
If any employee of the clinic felt the need to violate their policies by accessing anyone’s records, then they did it knowing full well that they were in violation of those policies. Termination was the only fair way to continue to assure all of us clinic patients that our records are safe and secure.
If the nurse wanted to access her husband’s records then she should have followed procedure and she should have known full well that the clinic makes patient records available to the patient. She did not need to take matters into her own hands by violating the clearly outlined policies and procedures.
I am sorry, but as a patient, I would not expect that the clinic would handle this matter with just a slap on the wrist or letter in an employee’s file. Any employee who thinks that our right to privacy is a simple matter should resign as the protesting nurse did. I do not want my records accessible to any employee who thinks this is a matter of opinion and not a violation of a patient’s rights.
Carol Whitney
Marysville
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