A room with a view… in the wrong sense

I am writing to raise a concern that I believe should matter to every person who uses our healthcare system.

During a recent visit with my partner to a facility operated by Eastern Health, we were placed in a room and left alone for a period of time before and after a procedure. While waiting, a patient file was open and clearly visible on a screen in the room. At first, I assumed it belonged to my partner.

It did not.

What was displayed appeared to be another patient’s personal information, including identifying details and medical imaging. This information remained visible and accessible for the entire time we were left unattended, roughly 40 minutes in total.

What struck me afterward was not just the situation itself, but my initial reaction to it. Like many people, my first instinct was discomfort and even guilt, as though I had done something wrong by seeing information that was not mine. It took time, reflection, and conversations with others to recognize that the responsibility in a situation like this does not fall on the patient in the room. It falls on the system to ensure that private information is properly protected.

We often hear about privacy breaches in large, abstract terms, data leaks, cyberattacks, statistics. But sometimes it is much simpler than that. It can be a screen left open, a file not closed, a moment of oversight that leaves deeply personal information exposed.

Patients trust the healthcare system with some of the most sensitive details of their lives. That trust depends on more than medical care. It depends on knowing that their information is handled with care and respect at every step.

I did report this incident, and I hope it is taken seriously. Not to assign blame to any one person, but to highlight how easily these situations can happen, and how important it is to prevent them.

If there is one takeaway, it is this. Privacy is not just a policy. It is a practice that must be upheld consistently, even in the busiest moments of a clinical day.

Sincerely,

Pam Pardy, CBS