Respecting Privacy, HIPAA & The School Newsletter

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In the last seven days we have had the ambulance called twice related to playground injuries. The first was a parent call after they had been released from school, and the second was a call I made. I responded on scene to both. After both incidents nosy parents were fishing for info on private parent-organized Facebook groups. My CNA has even received text messages asking for information under the guise of being "worried."

Two weeks ago parents in said FB group were trying to pin down which kiddos and classrooms had head lice in an internet witch hunt.

How would you word a newsletter article on respecting privacy and HIPAA laws? Normally I'm pretty good about authoring stuff like this, but it's really hard to do when all I want to write is "Grow the **** up and knock it the **** off!!" :mad:

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Is your admin asking you to write something for the newsletter about privacy? Personally I wouldn't even address it unless the questions are coming directly to you - then it would just be "sorry, but I can't give out that information".

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Like Adobe says, don't go there but stand your ground on sharing information. Parents aren't bound to any privacy laws. Don't waste your time on a newsletter.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i just simply thank them for their concern and say for privacy sake that I can't discuss if parents, teachers or even kids ask me about anyone. If the frenzy starts up over lice or strep or conjunctivitis or typhoid or whatever they're crowing about- i don't even engage. In fact I don't even belong to those types on groups on FB. I have my spies that have reported back to me when people want to talk smack and I have allies that are quick to smack back. I refuse to feed the beast.

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Specializes in school/military/OR/home health.

I'm not even on Facebook anymore because I found it to be such a wasteful time suck. But that's another issue altogether.

I would just state in a newsletter that you are bound by laws, HIPAA and FERPA, and you can't give out medical information on students. Maybe give some examples of what you can say (you could mention in a newsletter home that there are lice cases and that parents should check their children from time to time) and what you can't say (names or identifying information of the kids who have lice). And leave it at that.

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Specializes in NCSN.

I agree with the others, you can't stop the gossip mill.

But I think we have all been there and have felt your frustration. It's like a game of telephone and by the time it gets back to you it sounds like one case of lice is actually a school wide infestation that might close down the school.

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i just simply thank them for their concern and say for privacy sake that I can't discuss if parents, teachers or even kids ask me about anyone. If the frenzy starts up over lice or strep or conjunctivitis or typhoid or whatever they're crowing about- i don't even engage. In fact I don't even belong to those types on groups on FB. I have my spies that have reported back to me when people want to talk smack and I have allies that are quick to smack back. I refuse to feed the beast.

I am not a member of those groups either, and it's through my spies I learn the information.

Late last week I believe our Vice Principal contacted a nosy-nelly and asked her to pull her information seeking post asking why a student was physically removed off a bus. The post disappeared shortly after. GET A LIFE PEOPLE!!

I'll just leave it alone. I was thinking a little gossip-shaming may be effective.

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