Protecting Patient Privacy: A fundamental part of high-quality care

At Brigham Health, we have the honor of treating many well-known and high profile patients and their families. Media may report to the public when such a patient is receiving care here or anywhere within the Partners Healthcare system. This can spark public curiosity and interest.

With this in mind, we want to remind all staff of their responsibility to ensure that the privacy and confidentiality of our patients is protected. This applies to all patients, all the time. Individuals who access medical records outside of the scope of their work duties are subject to corrective action, including termination of employment.   

Brigham Health supports a robust and ongoing program of surveillance that involves frequent auditing of patient records for signs of inappropriate access, including searching. When we treat a high-profile patient or someone who has attracted media attention, we run regular and thorough checks to see who has been in that patient’s record. Partners eCare enables us to track access and record each click of all users who view and interact with the record. Looking at a patient’s clinical and nonclinical information without a work need – including demographics, insurance information, registration screens or appointment schedule – is a privacy violation.

We know Brigham Health employees are committed to doing everything they can to provide the best care for our patients. Protecting patient privacy must always be a top priority.

If you have questions, please contact our Privacy Office at 617-582-5201 or BWHCHIPAA@PARTNERS.ORG. Thank you for protecting our patients’ privacy.