A wrong number sends doc’s patient files to Canadian homeowner

A private residence received faxes of 18 medical results from the eHealth Saskatchewan, a Canadian organization responsible for implementing the province’s electronic health record system.

“All of the results are available electronically but some of the physicians prefer to receive the results faxed as well,” CEO Susan Antosh told the Prince Albert Daily Herald. “There is an automated fax service and in that fax service you would tag a phone number to a provider and then whenever a result came through for that provider, it would automatically be sent to that particular phone number.”

An employee had punched in the wrong phone number, she explained.

“The results have now all gotten to the physician and have all been resent to the physician,” Antosh said. “I don’t know at this point if there were any impacts to patient care but that is certainly something that we always check on when an event like this occurs.”

The main problem eHealth is facing because of this error involves privacy, she acknowledged.  

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