Welcome to my web site!
My name is Donna J. Rentzel and this Web site is to satisfy a course requirement for my graduate studies in Public Administration. My personal philosophy is not to take one's self too seriously. However, HIPAA is a very serious matter for all of us. I hope you will gather some information from the site that you can use in your daily interactions with health care entities, either as a patient or as a provider.
I feel this is a very important and timely topic for health care professionals, particularly those who deal with patient laboratory results. The HIPAA guidelines and rules do not seem to be very clear for the people who must comply with them. There are fines and sanctions for anyone who is noncompliant. However, it is very difficult to discern how to be compliant. The conferences and meetings I have attended regarding the Act have been heavily weighted by the person presenting the information. It seems they have made an interpretation and made up the rules for the laboratory personnel to follow. I realize that management's task is to guide personnel, but I feel a personal "spin" has been put into the interpretation of the Act. It is important for personnel to have a way to be objective and make sure they are compliant. Noncompliance could mean dismissal from your position, a fine for your institution (or perhaps you personally) and lots of bad public relations.
As an example of my frustration with information, I'll relate an anecdote to you. I have a close relative in a nursing home. Yesterday I received a notice from the home that family members and volunteers are no longer allowed in the dining room to visit. The reason given "resident special diet information is within clear view of anyone in the dining room and we must protect......privacy." I believe this is a decision made by management that is not in the best interests of the home residents or their families. If this is a problem, they need to put the information away or code it so employees are the only ones who know the code. Besides, who cares about who is on "salt free", "soft", etc.
A few more anecdotes: You go to the Emergency Room and at the triage desk there is a screen and information is given in stage whispers. Then you go back to be treated. Guess what?? All the rooms are full, so you lay in the hallway on a stretcher. The nurse, the physician, etc., all come over to you at various times and speak in loud voices about your problem and your status. So much for confidentiality and privacy.
Your physician's office calls your home and your are out. They leave a message on your answering machine: "John, your lab test was positive. Please call me ASAP." Never mind that your teenagers come home first (and so does your wife) and they play the tape. Again, so much for your privacy and confidentiality. Perhaps you did not want them to even know you had been in for a lab test.
There is a myriad of information on the Internet and available in libraries and various publications about HIPAA. This web site is certainly not intended to be a final word on how to interpret HIPAA, nor is it intended to be used for purposes of legal information. Twelve web sites have been chosen to help answer some questions and provide some information about HIPAA. The web site is mainly focused on the patient confidentiality and privacy components of HIPAA. These issues are in the forefront now because they require compliance by April 14, 2003.
One thing to always remember when making a decision about giving out medical information - USE YOUR COMMON SENSE! Think before you verbalize! Only give out the absolute MINIMUM information needed to help the patient.
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This page was last updated on 04/20/03.
