Frequently Asked Questions from HHS' Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
Yes, the Office of Civil Rights is involved with HIPAA. It may become a civil rights violation if a patient complains that their rights under HIPAA were violated. Some of the questions are just common sense. Laboratory personnel should not be talking in the elevator about a patient's test results.
This is a strong article because it reinforces the idea that we must make "reasonable efforts to limit access to protected health information". We need to remember that this applies to everyone we work with as well as outsiders. Workers only need to know and have access to information that is basic to their role. It is not necessary for a lab worker to know all about the social history of the patient unless it will impact the particular test being done. It is necessary for the worker to know if the patient is hepatitis C positive or HIV positive so they may take the special precautions when handling the specimens.
This article also touches on the role of teaching in a medical setting. Where does HIPAA fit for medical students, nursing students, radiology tech students, etc.
The Web site to reach the entire article is: http://www.hipaadvisory.com/action/faqs/privacy/min.htm
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