Few common HIPAA violations we should aware.
Imagine what it would be like if there were no HIPAA violations. Everyone would be respectful, and trustworthy. Employees would be honest. Patients wouldn’t withhold important information from medical staff due to mistrust. Unfortunately, this is not the case. HIPAA violations are very common, and the laws are violated every day.
Gossiping in itself isn’t a HIPAA violation. However, chatting loudly about a patient and their situation in front of the nurses’ station where everyone can hear, is a violation. Gossiping about patients outside of the work environment to friends or family is also a violation.
People are naturally curious. As employees, we have access to patient information, even information we don’t necessarily need to know to do our jobs. Naturally, when a patient is famous or is well-known on the news, we want to know all the inside information. Once the patient’s record or chart is accessed unlawfully, it’s a HIPAA violation.
This seems to be a very common occurrence. Many times, a “family member” or “friend” of a patient will request information about a patient’s status. Some employees take the person at their word and provide them with personal patient information. Without the patient’s permission to give out information, this is a HIPAA violation.
I see this all the time. A nurse or physician gets distracted, or called to an emergent situation and leaves their station with the patient chart still open. When information is left out, anyone can walk by and look at, or even take the information. It’s very important to always close down the patient chart, or put away any paperwork containing PPI.
Gossiping in itself isn’t a HIPAA violation. However, chatting loudly about a patient and their situation in front of the nurses’ station where everyone can hear, is a violation. Gossiping about patients outside of the work environment to friends or family is also a violation.
People are naturally curious. As employees, we have access to patient information, even information we don’t necessarily need to know to do our jobs. Naturally, when a patient is famous or is well-known on the news, we want to know all the inside information. Once the patient’s record or chart is accessed unlawfully, it’s a HIPAA violation.
This seems to be a very common occurrence. Many times, a “family member” or “friend” of a patient will request information about a patient’s status. Some employees take the person at their word and provide them with personal patient information. Without the patient’s permission to give out information, this is a HIPAA violation.
I see this all the time. A nurse or physician gets distracted, or called to an emergent situation and leaves their station with the patient chart still open. When information is left out, anyone can walk by and look at, or even take the information. It’s very important to always close down the patient chart, or put away any paperwork containing PPI.
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