Texting and e-mailing medical records presents a privacy risk

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In this digital age it may be second nature for you to ask your doctor to e-mail you any test results. After all, we’re just a click away from most of the information we need.

According to Chantelle Simmons this simple act has ethical implications for many healthcare practitioners.

It’s a matter that the Bermuda Hospitals Board’s Ethics Committee is highlighting this week with the theme Technology in the Digital Age.

Dr Simmons, chair of the education section of the committee, said e-mailing and texting patient test results and files is the main ethical issue facing the BHB in the digital age.

“Today we are technology-focused and patients want a rapid response,” she said. “We try to communicate that we have an ethical duty to maintain patient confidentiality and that writing back and forth on personal e-mail cannot guarantee this.”

Encrypting digital communications between healthcare providers and patients is seen as the best solution to the problem and BHB is in the process of doing this. But while this is expected to work well for e-mails, it won’t solve the problem with texting.

“We don’t want patient information sent in text messages because we cannot ensure confidentiality,” said Dr Simmons.

“We recognise patients have a right to their records and we are not against them getting the information at the speed that is now available through digital technology.”

She noted that there is a high possibility of patient information being shared with people who weren’t intended to see it, when text messages are sent.

“We recognise there are numerous benefits to using modern digital devices including speed and ease of communication between clinicians and between clinicians and their patients. But we have to ensure the privacy of healthcare information is maintained.”

It is BHB policy that only BHB e-mail addresses can be used when communicating patient data electronically.

“This is to maintain the privacy of personal records,” she said. “Healthcare providers are aware of the limits as we work on strengthening the security. If for example a physician e-mailed from a personal account, this might be readily accessible on their communal family computer if Outlook, for example, is open.”

Some large hospitals in North America create personal web pages for in-patients, which can be accessed with a private password. Dr Simmons said there are no plans at the moment to introduce such a system for BHB hospitals.

“We would need a very high tech environment to offer that service,” she said. “We are working with our IT security officer, Lloyd Holder, to ensure we have options to encrypt information. Technology is rapidly evolving in medicine but we want to make sure we are not pressing the click button that compromises the patient’s right to privacy.”

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