doctor's office accessing of scripts

[morte]

right about now I am ripshoot (george carlinism)....went for a work physical at a doctor's office that I have no prior relationship with and will have no further relationship with, and the MA looks at the screen and says "so, you take x and y meds....." I ask her how she knows this, since I didn't give permission nor a list, and she says if you use insurance to pay for it, we can see it......WITHOUT MY FREAKING CONSENT....! I got copies of the consents i signed, on the way out of the office, don't see it anywhere!!!!!....This seems like a hipaa violation to me, they had no need, hence no right. I am feeling ...angry, hurt, humiliated, stupid.......this on top of no steady job at the moment......really great freaking day I have had.....So, so much for privacy....

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Welcome to all medical records being computerized by 2014. Scary isn't it. Now your electronic medical record will be available to whomever you sign to allow you to be .....meds included. You signed in, you agreed to be seen, you signed that you agreed to be seen, you agreed for ALL of your medical record to be viewed for your "care".

No HIPAA violation here. Sorry,

Please explain to me were I gave permission? This is an office that I have/had no previous association with, in a different state than my PCP, different hospital system.....WERE?

[VioletKaliLPN, LPN]

This may be none of my business, but what were you embarrassed about? The types of meds you are on? I'll be straightforward with you. Patients are not always honest about their medications, this can have dangerous and deadly consequences, so computerized access to scripts is the norm in my experience.

I am on various psychiatric drugs to treat BPD, a benzo included, as well as a drug to suppress genital herpes outbreaks. I have had HSV2 since 2004, and lemme tell you, after that second outbreak I said heck no... I also have high blood pressure-which is not high anymore thanks to treatment, but I still have the DX. I am on medications that often embarass people, but I am not embarassed because I am treating health conditions that require treatment. If someone does not like it, they can take a hike and shove it.

I can understand that your embarrassment is unique to you, and that you genuinely feel violated, though. I guess I am hoping that you could become less embarrassed knowing that many of 'us' share RX med types that could be embarrassing.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

I don't take any meds other than a BP pill, but I don't like it either. Not a violation, but just having all your private records out there on the cyberverse for anyone with any tenuous connection to your care be it pharmacy, any office you go to, insurance companies etc.......

I have nothing to hide, but I don't like it one bit and it definitely means I will not share much of anything if anything other than 'I fell fine" with my health care providers unless I am desperate.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[ChristinP]

How about you ask the MDs office straight out.

How did you get my information?

Show me where I signed permission?

Then ask how you can prevent it in the future?

Shoot, I understand you are upset but I wish my MDs did this because repeating myself get annoying.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

I don't take any meds other than a BP pill, but I don't like it either. Not a violation, but just having all your private records out there on the cyberverse for anyone with any tenuous connection to your care be it pharmacy, any office you go to, insurance companies etc.......

I have nothing to hide, but I don't like it one bit and it definitely means I will not share much of anything if anything other than 'I feel fine" with my health care providers unless I am desperate.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

This seems like a hipaa violation to me, they had no need, hence no right. I am feeling ...angry, hurt, humiliated, stupid.......So, so much for privacy....

You went there for a physical examination and assessment. How is a practioner supposed to do a thorough physical assessment without knowing what meds you take? Accessing this information would be considered to be a legitimate need on the part of the practitioner, so no hipaa violation on their part. It would only be a violation if it was someone not part of your healthcare team who was trying to access your information.

The entity releasing the information was actually the insurance company-have you signed something to the effect that they may release this information to providers? Is that an implicit agreement when you sign up with a certain insurance plan?

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

There is a difference between giving that info to them yourself vs having them pluck it out of the cyber world. It is a matter of so many having access vs. your having a quiet talk to your doctor and disclosing the info.

I am all for using the technology to prevent doctor shopping/drug seeking, but it is getting intrusive and I bet some people will end up getting burned badly when the information is eventually misused.

Ah well, time will tell.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

I am all for using the technology to prevent doctor shopping/drug seeking, but it is getting intrusive and I bet some people will end up getting burned badly when the information is eventually misused.

Ah well, time will tell.

If we are "all for using technology to prevent doctor shopping/drug seeking", then this is the inevitable result. I don't think we can have it both ways.

I think the OP needs to question her insurance company about why they are making her med list available via computer and see if there is a way she can put an end to that.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Welcome to all medical records being computerized by 2014. Scary isn't it. Now your electronic medical record will be available to whomever you sign to allow you to be .....meds included. You signed in, you agreed to be seen, you signed that you agreed to be seen, you agreed for ALL of your medical record to be viewed for your "care".

No HIPAA violation here. Sorry,

As always Esme is 100 percent on the money. I used to also handle all insurance for a practice while I was taking my prereqs for nursing. I'm not talking trash when I say the DATABASE in the sky is real. That, EMR is a way we contribute to hanging ourselves as practioners, and a way for the powers that be (doesn't matter: the government or the insurance companies = we're screwed) to decide who gets what treatment. It's already happening, and will be more final soon, that MDs/RNs will not be who makes medical decisions.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Please explain to me were I gave permission? This is an office that I have/had no previous association with, in a different state than my PCP, different hospital system.....WERE?

Did you sign a consent that allowed them to see you? If you did you gave them permission to view your medical records. There are many places that now have online access to prescribed medicines from a state data base that the pharmacies file with to track narcotics and other "controlled" substances in order to "track" habitual MD's and patients prescribing/taking patterns. MD offices, hospitals, clinics have access to theses records.

Now whether the MA was correct in accessing this information "necessary" for your care and run her mouth off.....that maybe another story

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

As always Esme is 100 percent on the money. I used to also handle all insurance for a practice while I was taking my prereqs for nursing. I'm not talking trash when I say the DATABASE in the sky is real. That, EMR is a way we contribute to hanging ourselves as practioners, and a way for the powers that be (doesn't matter: the government or the insurance companies = we're screwed) to decide who gets what treatment. It's already happening, and will be more final soon, that MDs/RNs will not be who makes medical decisions.

I just wish people believed it......Sigh.