Reference no: EM133499407

Question: How will you go about handling this incident? provide the steps? also how will you investigate this incident? what are the challenges and lesson learn? mitigating steps

As the IT Security manager ,please assist resolving this issue

Action:  Need to exam the media detail of text and photo.  

The patient photo was sent by text messaging via cell phone from someone in the facility to an outside contact. 

From a privacy view; 

• the picture of the patient is identifiable. 
• The nurse in the picture is identifiable.  
• The computer has electronic demographics that can be digital enhanced to read (PHI). 
• The setting is identifiable as a healthcare setting. SVH can be linked if viewer can identify the patient and/or the nurse or looks at the media detail. 
• There is no evidence the photo was taken with consent of the patient via review of the chart.  
• The photo of the patient was sent unsecure via test.

This constitutes a reportable breach of privacy. There is supporting evidence and continued risk. This event is reportable  to  HHS' Office for Civil Rights as an impermissible disclosure as a breach of unsecured PHI.

To mitigate circulation of this digital photo we need to determine who created the photo and where it was sent. Prior to informing the patient of the event.