HIPAA and TV

[amoLucia]

Watching TV tonight and I literally started yelling at the screen, "HIPAA, HIPAA, HIPAA"!!!

The most simple wrong violation occurred - I like want to call the TV Hospital to tell them!!! It was a hospital in Dallas from the '600 lb' TV series.

The subject's HHA shows up at his apt, finds it empty, then calls the hospital to ask if he was there. She get a "YES" answer!!!! Over the phone!!!

Now it is just TV, so I hope there was something more to this scene that WAS NOT filmed. I don't know if the general viewing audience would have been aware of this faux pas. But I was. Unless I'm missing something else...

Just expressing my disbelief for such an occurrence.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

This isn't a HIPAA violation if the patient's name was in the hospital directory.

[RiskManager]

483-Does HIPAA permit health care facilities to inform visitors about a patient’s location | HHS.gov

Actually, unless the patient has directed the facility to not release the information, this sort of directory information can be shared with visitors and callers.

[amoLucia]

Thank you both for the information. With everything being so HIPAA sensitive, it just jumped out at me.

But, having said that, where I've worked, we were always admonished that we were NEVER to give out even the simplest answer "YES" to queries if Lucy Jones was a pt there?

I just love the site. Learn something new everyday!!!!

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

But, having said that, where I've worked, we were always admonished that we were NEVER to give out even the simplest answer "YES" to queries if Lucy Jones was a pt there?

In what sort of facilities have you worked? Any sort of behavioral health facility might have this rule as standard.

[quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN]

I just watched that episode and I can say that there seemed to be some editing during that phone call. The aid asks what hospital it was and we don't hear the answer and then it was the answer yes. To me, there was editing so we don't know what else was said between the two people.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

They are correct..it's not a HIPAA violation.

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

Plus the news media is not a covered entity and not subject to HIPAA.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

If someone has consented to have his medical treatment filmed for a television show and have details disclosed to a national television audience, he would be hard pressed to complain about a breach of privacy.