Nurses Fired For Distributing Patient Photos On Facebook

Three nurses at New Park House, an English Nursing Home, were fired following the posting of patient photos on their Facebook accounts.  The incident highlights the importance of patient privacy in a world where confidential patient information can be distributed with the click of a mouse.

Nursing home residents have a right to privacy.  In the U.S. patient privacy is protect by the Health Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA- Federal Register, 164.508).  The Act specifies that patients’ medical charts can only be distributed to authorized individuals with the written authority of the individual.  Further, the request can be withdrawn at any time.

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