Hospital privileges for a paediatrician at Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) were revoked following an unauthorized access of certain patient information.

Through the regional electronic medical records system, the physician inappropriately accessed limited information about certain patients without authorization. In some instances, the physician used that information to contact patients for the purposes of offering private health care services at a community clinic unrelated to a hospital.

Immediately upon becoming aware of this issue, WRH initiated an investigation and the physician was directed to stop any unauthorized activity.

There is no evidence that the physician exported, printed, or otherwise electronically took personal health information from the hospital system, or retained any personal health information.

Families of patients who may have been subject to this unauthorized access have been notified by mail to their homes. We do not know how many families were actually contacted by the physician, but as a precaution letters have been sent to over 800 families who gave birth to baby boys in the region between January and May of this year.

This matter was reported to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) and to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. In addition to no longer holding privileges to practice at WRH, the physician no longer has access to the electronic medical records system.

WRH and the Erie St. Clair Region Hospitals have policies in place regarding confidentiality and privacy of personal health information to ensure compliance with applicable privacy laws, and does not tolerate unauthorized access, use or disclosure of patient personal health information.