Privacy breach: Patient lab results faxed to business owner, not doctor
A man in western Newfoundland says he has once again received confidential medical information from a health authority on his fax machine by mistake.
David Simmons said he received patient laboratory test results to his company's fax machine from Western Health on three occasions in 2012. This winter, he received test results from Central Health.
"It's not a good feeling, at times it happened on the weekend, that could be patient that is in a bed somewhere and a doctor is waiting for a result," Simmons told Central Morning.
"It's kind of a scary situation for somebody else."
Simmons, who owns Pure Holstein near Corner Brook, said he contacted the health authority and it resolved the problem.
Breach being investigated: Steve Kent
After he received test results from Central Health this year, Simmons called the health authority and mailed the documents back. He was surprised he did not get a follow-up call from Central Health.
I just hope I don't get sick in central Newfoundland at some point and end up getting on someone else's fax machine- David Simmons
"I heard never another word again. I never heard, 'We've received them, thank you, appreciate it, we're taking care of this problem, it's not going to happen to anybody else,' " he said.
"I just hope I don't get sick in central Newfoundland at some point and end up getting on someone else's fax machine."
Simmons believes his fax number is similar to a doctor's number office in Corner Brook, resulting in the mix up.
Central Health was involved in a separate privacy breach earlier this month when a document containing medical information about 16 patients was found on a CBC producer's yard.
Health Minister Steve Kent said that incident is being investigated.
Kent added that the reason why the public is hearing of more privacy breaches may not be because more are happening, but rather because detection of breaches has improved.