The holiday season is here.  Are you sending holiday cards to your coworkers and need their addresses?
READ THIS:

Is it okay to look up a coworker’s address in the electronic medical record to send a holiday card?

No. Do not look up a coworker or any other person in the electronic medical record to obtain an address or telephone number. Accessing the electronic medical record system for purposes other than to do your job is not permitted. Inappropriate access to a patient’s electronic medical record may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Is it okay to look up a coworker’s address using the patient look-up feature in Epic or axiUm?

No.  Employees are not permitted to use the patient lookup feature in Epic or axiUm for personal reasons, even if you do not view other parts of the patient chart. Although the Patient Lookup feature does not open the patient chart, it is part of the electronic health record and displays Protected Health Information (PHI).

Remember –

• Epic and axiUm are not address books.
• Accessing a co-worker’s medical record for a non-work purpose (such as sending holiday cards) is not permitted.
• PHI should only be accessed when necessary for job-related purposes.
• Searching for a patient by name or other identifier in Patient Lookup or the medical record without a job-related need is snooping and may result in disciplinary action.

Please contact the Office of Healthcare Compliance and Privacy if you have questions.

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