HIPAA or Patient Confidentiality?

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I am confused about the whole HIPAA/Pt. Confidentiality thing. Here's where it comes in to play: A while ago, a group of nursing students were discussing an observational site they had attended. This conversation took place at a completely different site other than the observational. One of them was stating how much she had learned from the doctor and signs/symptoms of a particular pt. that he based his diagnoses on. The patient's name, age, gender, location, doc's name or observatioal site were not mentioned. Is this pt. confidentiality or HIPAA? Or both? I am completely confused.

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.

I don't think it's a confidentiality issue because the patient's information (name) was not revealed....unless there was something mentioned that would reveal the patient's identity....for example you can talk about the woman who had 8 babies....you don't say her name but we all know who that person is....

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No, this was not the case at all-not one named was mentioned and it was a pretty general thing. Thanks for the reply-we were talking about it afterwards and a few of us were wondering if there was an unintentional violation made. It's such a hard area to understand exactly. Thank you again!!!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
This conversation took place at a completely different site other than the observational. One of them was stating how much she had learned from the doctor and signs/symptoms of a particular pt. that he based his diagnoses on. The patient's name, age, gender, location, doc's name or observatioal site were not mentioned. Is this pt. confidentiality or HIPAA? Or both?

What you described is not a breach of patient confidentiality or a violation of HIPAA.

Signs and symptoms of diagnoses being discussed are not confidential. They belong to the world and we can discuss them as we desire. They only become issues of confidentiality when you reveal something about the patient that clearly identifies the person (like their name, address, social security number--something that will tell everyone, without question who this person is). If even the dumbest of people can put 2 + 2 together [the diagnosis and the patient that has them] then you are violating HIPAA which is why you shouldn't discuss patient cases in hospital elevators and cafeterias. Just saying "a elderly female" or "a 30-year old man" is still not a HIPAA violation. There are thousands of elderly females and 30-year old men with the signs and symptoms being discussed.

Now, if you say, "the guy who lives next door to me has AIDS" I would get a lawyer. :chuckle

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Perfectly understood now-thank you!!!

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