An employee of health information services disclosed protected health information to a media representative disguised as a medical resident. Do you agree that the hospital can be held liable for this event by applying the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur in this situation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The doctrine of res ipsa loquitur applies in cases where the facts speak for themselves, and the negligence is presumed because such an event would not have occurred but for negligence. In this situation, the hospital employees have a duty to protect patient privacy, and the breach of confidentiality occurred due to the employee's negligence, which resulted in disclosing protected health information to an unauthorized person. Therefore, the hospital can be held liable for this event by applying the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur.

An Employee of Health Information Services Disclosed Protected Health Information