Health info faxed to wrong number

Diagnostic imaging reports for 10 patients in the province were mistakenly faxed to a private residence after a phone number was updated incorrectly, eHealth Saskatchewan reported.

The error affected eight patients in the Saskatoon Health Region and one each in the Prince Albert Parkland and Sunrise health regions.

“We’re very sorry for any concern it’s caused for patients,” eHealth Saskatchewan CEO Susan Antosh said in an interview Thursday.

All the misdirected faxes were disposed of and the incident was reported to the Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner.

Diagnostic images include X-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs and computed tomography, known as CT or CAT scans, among others. Once a diagnostic image is created or a test is done, it is read by a radiologist and a radiology report is created. These reports were sent to the wrong number.

“An important point is these results are available electronically, right from the date they come in. Even if the fax didn’t go to the physician, it can be viewed,” Antosh said. However, many doctors like to also receive a paper copy, she added.

The affected health regions are following up with patients to determine if there were any adverse health affects as a result of the misdirected faxes. Saskatoon Health Region spokesperson Linda Walker said the affected patients had been contacted but said she couldn’t disclose whether their health had been affected, citing privacy concerns.

Antosh said there is a process for double-checking when numbers are updated that involves sending the updated information back to the doctor’s office to verify it’s correct, but in this case the process didn’t catch the error.

There are more than six million diagnostic images for 38,000 patients added to the electronic picture archiving and communications system every month and more than half a billion images are currently stored in the system.