Ohio Medical Facility Prevails in Patient’s Privacy Breach Suit

An Ohio health-care facility can’t be held liable for an alleged breach of confidence stemming from its employee’s unauthorized look at a patient’s medical records.

Ohio recognizes a cause of action against a physician or hospital for disclosing a patient’s private health information to a third party without authorization, the Ohio Court of Appeals, Tenth District, said Thursday. But an employee’s action in deliberately accessing the information for her own reasons isn’t a disclosure, giving rise to the tort, it said.

There were no facts in this case suggesting that OhioHealth Corp. intentionally or unintentionally disclosed confidential medical information learned ...