Phone calls & families <sigh> - Page 3

there have been numerous threads on this issue and in general it seems to be nurses that are totally unaware of hippa. hippa does not prohibit us from providing information to family and friends, it only places requirements on how that information is given. use a pin, password, or just pass the phone to the patient for a second to confirm that you can provide information to that person.

involving family and friends (with permission) in the overall care of a patient is an important part of nursing care. too often, we seem to use hippa to excuse lazy, poor care.

There have been numerous threads on this issue and in general it seems to be nurses that are totally unaware of HIPPA. HIPPA does not prohibit us from providing information to family and friends, it only places requirements on how that information is given. Use a PIN, password, or just pass the phone to the patient for a second to confirm that you can provide information to that person.

Involving family and friends (with permission) in the overall care of a patient is an important part of nursing care. Too often, we seem to use HIPPA to excuse lazy, poor care.

When my mother was hospitalized for complications from chemo, we designated one family member to receive info from doctors, nurses, etc. That contact person gave information to the rest of the family. That makes it so much easier all around.

I give the same advice to patients when they are admitted, then if someone other that person calls I refer them to the contact person.

That is 190% not true.

ALL nurses are fully aware of HIPAA (not HIPPA), because I don't know of a hospital that didn't put all of their staff through HIPAA training when the new law came out, considering you can be fined up to $50K PER VIOLATION and go to prison (yes, prison) if the violation was bad enough, up to a maximum of one year.

HIPAA is asked about on State Boards, taught in nursing school and every patient is given a copy of the privacy policy upon admission.

If someone is working in healthcare and have never heard of HIPAA and don't know how it works, they need to be working in another profession.

Where do you get that you can update the family and friends on anything? By what authority do you pick and choose who gets information and who doesn't without the patient's permission, or do you just give it to anyone who is sober enough to pick up the phone and call and ask?

Seriously...I am very, very surprised that you haven't landed in hot water at your job, because I have personally known of two nurses on my unit that have been fired for HIPAA violations.

We have even been told that we cannot even go and visit neighbors, etc that are admitted to the hospital unless we have been personally notified by them, not because we just happen to come across their information and know they are admitted.

It's a REALLY big deal.

excuse me? what is "hippa?"

i'm familiar with hipaa. but our facility teaches that we cannot even aknowledge that we know someone unless the caller is on the list of patient contacts.

we're supposed to say, and i quote: "i'm sorry, sir (or madam). i have no information on a party by that name."

That is 190% not true.

ALL nurses are fully aware of HIPAA (not HIPPA), because I don't know of a hospital that didn't put all of their staff through HIPAA training when the new law came out, considering you can be fined up to $50K PER VIOLATION and go to prison (yes, prison) if the violation was bad enough, up to a maximum of one year.

HIPAA is asked about on State Boards, taught in nursing school and every patient is given a copy of the privacy policy upon admission.

If someone is working in healthcare and have never heard of HIPAA and don't know how it works, they need to be working in another profession.

Where do you get that you can update the family and friends on anything? By what authority do you pick and choose who gets information and who doesn't without the patient's permission, or do you just give it to anyone who is sober enough to pick up the phone and call and ask?

Seriously...I am very, very surprised that you haven't landed in hot water at your job, because I have personally known of two nurses on my unit that have been fired for HIPAA violations.

We have even been told that we cannot even go and visit neighbors, etc that are admitted to the hospital unless we have been personally notified by them, not because we just happen to come across their information and know they are admitted.

It's a REALLY big deal.