Queen Elizabeth Hospital Data Breach (2019)

P.E.I.'s privacy watchdog wants Health PEI to keep closer tabs on one of its employee's use of patient health records, following a privacy breach last year at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. That's according to a new report by Information and Privacy Commissioner Karen Rose, posted May 30. According to the report, in March 2018, a patient received a copy of their electronic patient chart from Health PEI. That chart included a log showing who had accessed the patient's health information, and when. The patient alerted Health PEI to concerns over one employee at QEH, who was personally known to the patient, who, according to the log, had accessed the patient's medical records several times. According to the report, when asked about the allegation, the employee told Health PEI that all of their access to the patient's health information was for "professional reasons." Also, according to the report, the employee indicated "a long history of a volatile relationship" between the employee and patient. The report goes on to say the employee was concerned the privacy complaint was made by the patient "with malicious intent."