When penalties were handed out for snooping in UCLA's medical records, it paid to have an M.D. after your name.
As a group, doctors at UCLA hospitals who wrongly peeked at the records of pop star Britney Spears got off lighter than other staffers, according to reports released Friday by state health inspectors.
The California Department of Public Health faulted the prestigious UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, its neuropsychiatric institute and a sister hospital in Santa Monica for two privacy breaches involving Spears: when she gave birth to her first son in 2005 and when she was hospitalized in the psychiatric unit earlier this year.
All told, at least 53 UCLA staffers -- including 14 physicians -- looked at Spears' medical records on the two occasions, even though they were not treating her, according to statistics from the state and UCLA officials. Eighteen non-doctors resigned, retired or were dismissed after their prying was discovered, according to data provided to The Times by UCLA. No physicians quit or were fired.
Asked about the discrepancy, Kathleen Billingsley, deputy director for the state health department's Center for Healthcare Quality, said: "I can't speculate as to why."
In the past, UCLA has explained that physicians are overseen by a group of their peers, while all other employees report to the human resources department. But on Friday, officials said all employees should be held to the same standards and should face similar discipline for similar wrongdoing.
"Historically, doctors have been treated in a way that may be more lenient than non-physicians, and we will address that," said Dr. David Feinberg, chief executive of the UCLA Hospital System.
"We will do everything possible in the future not to be accused of that."
After days of public disclosures about privacy breaches, UCLA officials announced the creation of a high-level committee to review privacy policies and ensure that discipline is meted out fairly. Chancellor Gene D. Block also said UCLA would improve computer systems to increase security for patient records.
"All of us are deeply committed to fixing whatever has to be fixed and making sure that patient confidentiality is protected," Block said, adding that UCLA wants its procedures to be a model.
Feinberg said the new committee would examine different types of privacy abuses and recommend appropriate discipline for each, including possible termination and referral to criminal authorities.
