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TRISTAR SKYLINE MEDICAL CENTER
PATIENT RIGHTS: PERSONAL PRIVACY
Tag No.: A0143
INTAKE #TN00019999
Based on observations and interview, it was determined the facility failed to maintain the patient's right to personal privacy by video monitoring patients in their rooms without their knowledge and/or consent.
The findings included:
1. Observations of the emergency department (ED) on 7/17/11 at 10:57 AM revealed a mounted screen at the nurse's station with a visual picture of a room with a bed in it.
During an interview on 7/17/11 at 10:57 AM, the ED Clinical Coordinator (CC) stated a camera was in ED room #8 used to video monitor the patients that were admitted to that room. The ED CC verified the mounted screen at the nurse's station could be visualized by anyone standing at the nurse's station or walking in the hall. The ED CC verified there was no documentation the patients and/or patient representatives were aware they were being video monitored while in room #8.
2. Observations on 7/18/11 at 3:05 PM revealed 2 video screens mounted at the nurse's station on the 5th floor pulmonary/step-down wing. There were 5 patients visualized on one of the mounted screens and 3 patients visualized on the other mounted screen.
During an interview on 7/18/11 at 3:05 PM, the Quality Manager verified the patients in pulmonary rooms number 521, 522, 523, 524 and 525 and the patients in the step-down rooms number 521, 522 and 523 had cameras in their rooms and were being video monitored on the mounted screens at the nurse's station. The Quality Manager verified the mounted screens could be visualized by anyone standing at the nurse's station and/or walking the hallway.
3. Observations on 7/18/11 at 3:45 PM of the Critical Care Unit (CCU) revealed a mounted screen at the nurse's station. A patient was visualized on the screen.
During an interview on 7/18/11 at 3:45 PM, the Quality manager verified there were cameras in CCU rooms 1, 11, 17 and 22 and patients were video monitored on the mounted screen at the nurse's station. The Quality Manager verified the mounted screen could be seen by anyone standing at the nurse's station or walking the hallway.
4. During an interview on 7/18/11 at 3:58 PM, the Quality Director verified there was no documentation patients were made aware they were being video monitored.