NY Times: Baby Pictures & Hipaa?

[Vanquisher]

HIPAA is a fucking joke of a law. It hurts patients more than it helps. I think a parent sending in a pic of their baby is consent.

Your urologist isn't going to post your picture because you're not sending it in!

[MrsK]

Your urologist isn't going to post your picture because you're not sending it in!

Likely not. But lately, the receptionists at my doctors' offices have insisted on taking my picture for their computer record. Some get really pissy if I decline.



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[Deebs]

HIPAA was created largely in response to the AIDS crisis, but also because many in healthcare are idiots with no sense of judgement. There were (and still are, but now they can be fired) workers posting pics of objects lodged in rectums, x-rays of the same, tons of confidential information of very sensitive diagnoses. Working in Quality Assurance (at a time before it was about getting the EMR to work and bill reconciled), much of my job was policing bad behavior. What we encountered was much more problems among techs and nurses, but also saw my fair share of bad behavior by doctors. I think it's more upsetting that providers can't greet their patients, in a human way, outside of the exam room. Patients think their providers are just rude or uncaring when the CANT acknowledge them in the mall, grocery store, etc.


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[SoonerTexan]

Randomly was talking about this with DH today.

"So is a waiting room where you see other patients a violation of HIPAA then?"

[ladymoreta]

Haha really good point!

[PrincessFiona]

Randomly was talking about this with DH today.

"So is a waiting room where you see other patients a violation of HIPAA then?"

Actually, I think this is an interesting point if any healthcare information is transmitted. Sort of random here, but at the office where Amanda sees a therapist, the therapists often come out to talk to parents at the end of a session. I have often sat there and listened to a rundown of Suzy and Johnnies issues that day in therapy. The therapists attempt to be discrete, but hello HIPAA.

Last week, when Amanda's therapist came out with Amanda, I asked to speak with her, pointed to the offending therapists in the waiting room and told her that this was an ethical violation of patient's rights to privacy. She was sort of surprised. I told her that I heard all of what was bothering said children and the parent/therapist responses and found it to be unethical. "This needs to change." She thanked me and said she would bring it up.

In some ways, the waiting room can become an ethical violation.

Kris

[Vanquisher]

HIPAA is out of control and hurts patients more than it helps anyone IMO.

[Vanquisher]

Actually, I think this is an interesting point if any healthcare information is transmitted. Sort of random here, but at the office where Amanda sees a therapist, the therapists often come out to talk to parents at the end of a session. I have often sat there and listened to a rundown of Suzy and Johnnies issues that day in therapy. The therapists attempt to be discrete, but hello HIPAA.

Last week, when Amanda's therapist came out with Amanda, I asked to speak with her, pointed to the offending therapists in the waiting room and told her that this was an ethical violation of patient's rights to privacy. She was sort of surprised. I told her that I heard all of what was bothering said children and the parent/therapist responses and found it to be unethical. "This needs to change." She thanked me and said she would bring it up.

In some ways, the waiting room can become an ethical violation.

Kris

Wow. Our therapists office always brings parents back privately at the end if necessary. That's horrible.

[PrincessFiona]

Wow. Our therapists office always brings parents back privately at the end if necessary. That's horrible.

I agree. It's a huge ethical violation.

[JDAZ11]

Here they make this huge point of never using last names in the waiting rooms and blacking out/peeling off lines on patient sign-in lists (actually not in every office - but most). I think it's so silly and a total waste of time.

[Deebs]

When the law was initially written, a provision had to be added for waiting rooms. Initially it was thought that many systems would have to purchase restaurant style pagers (many did) until someone with common sense must have pointed out you could still SEE the patients! Can you tell I earned my MPH at the initial implementation of HIPAA?
Just for fun (if I haven't shared), the portion that requires everyone to sign forms saying they've been notified of privacy, actually falls under the Paperwork Reduction section of the act. You just can't make this stuff up!


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