HIPPA violation if the patient isn't in your facility?

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The situation: A nurse knows a friend is pregnant and outs the pregnancy on Facebook. The patient goes to a different hospital and doesn't receive care in the same facility the nurse works in. The information was obtained through the patient themselves but was expecting the nurse to keep the information private. is I still a violation of medical information/HIPPA violation if the patient doesn't recover care in the same facility the nurse works at?

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

Not a HIPAA violation as she told her of the pregnancy as a friend, not in the role of patient to nurse. Now if the friend had been her nurse and discovered the pregnancy through her job and then proceeded to announce the pregnancy that would be a violation.

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Yes, and I had written up s letter to give to the office manager but I think I'll just rip it up. Not because of her but because I think my husband and I don't need anymore hard feelings and drama. Especially st the OB office. It's a bummer that outbof all places on earth she had to work there. What luck.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
The situation: A nurse knows a friend is pregnant and outs the pregnancy on Facebook. The patient goes to a different hospital and doesn't receive care in the same facility the nurse works in. The information was obtained through the patient themselves but was expecting the nurse to keep the information private. is I still a violation of medical information/HIPPA violation if the patient doesn't recover care in the same facility the nurse works at?

Not a HIPAA violation, but perhaps a breach of friendship.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I wasn't sure if it was or not. If the pregnant patient was receiving care at the facility the nurse worked at it would be. But I guess if you spread private medical information about someone who isn't going to the facility you work at it doesn't count?

If you told your friend you were pregnant in her capacity of friend, it doesn't matter where she got treatment. It isn't HIPAA protected information unless she finds out about it in the course of her employment as a nurse.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Really? Why not just say she blabbed my secret pregnancy on social media and that is how friends and family found out at 6 weeks along I am pregnant and now I don't trust her anymore. Why cover for her? If you were the office manager wouldn't you want to know the truth? Because after being embarrassed in social media infringe of 500 people I don't feel like I have anything to lose anymore.

If you didn't want anyone to know about your secret pregnancy and if she wasn't that close a friend, why did you tell her in the first place? Really -- this has nothing to do with her job. Keep the office manager out of it. And you might want to think about why you're so fixated on this vindictiveness rather than being excited about your secret pregnancy.

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I wasn't sure if it was or not. If the pregnant patient was receiving care at the facility the nurse worked at it would be. But I guess if you spread private medical information about someone who isn't going to the facility you work at it doesn't count?

Even if the pregnant patient received care at the nurse's facility, it still would not be a HIPAA violation, because the information was not obtained in the course of her work. It was direct information from a friend. FACEBOOK just sucks people into very bad behavior.

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I go through moods where I feel I should drop it and there are moods in which I feel victimized and want her to have a consequence. I don't think she would have any professional consequences and I'm not sure in the end if I told her boss just to release my feelings if I would end up feeling more anxious about going there. There is also a survey they want me to fill out about my experience and patient care, it covers all topics. I could put my complaint there but at this point I'm really thinking of me and my husband and our comfort above getting back at her. I just think in the end it may get cause us even more ill feelings. My OB is one if the only and best MFM specialist in our area so I can't afford to switch offices.

Do not put this in a survey about your experience with the office. It has nothing to do with the office and will make you look petty. The first mistake made was telling her you were pregnant at just six weeks. That information should have remained as a nice, pleasant little secret between you and your husband for just a little while longer. Did you ask her to keep it a secret? Even so, nothing is a secret if 2 people know. If you want, you can reply to her on facebook and say "my husband and I are disappointed that you deprived us of the opportunity to make this special announcement." Or tell her privately. Nothing else.

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I go through moods where I feel I should drop it and there are moods in which I feel victimized and want her to have a consequence. I don't think she would have any professional consequences and I'm not sure in the end if I told her boss just to release my feelings if I would end up feeling more anxious about going there. There is also a survey they want me to fill out about my experience and patient care, it covers all topics. I could put my complaint there but at this point I'm really thinking of me and my husband and our comfort above getting back at her. I just think in the end it may get cause us even more ill feelings. My OB is one if the only and best MFM specialist in our area so I can't afford to switch offices.

Another saying: "Living well is the best revenge."

With regard to your last couple of sentences, I'll tell you what I think will happen. You've changed offices and say this is in your (and your baby's) best interest in terms of medical care. If the first move you make has to do with getting back at her (trying to exact your revenge at her place of work) they will be inclined to think you have a personality disorder and have come to that particular office primarily to wreak havoc, or at the very least that you are more focused on social drama than a healthy pregnancy - and that is not going to impress anyone or evoke their sympathies.

You have the opportunity to live your life well, or you can roll in the mud with pigs. Surely you know which of your choices is more appropriate as you embark on your parenting journey.

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I agree I want my pound of flesh. As far as ruining her professionally, if that happened it wouldn't be because of me. I didn't run her mouth for her, that was her own judgement and nastiness that did that.

No, if YOU bring it up to the office manager it totally would happen because of you. Your HUSBAND ran his mouth first and started this nasty little mess. He's the one who really violated your trust. Don't attempt to get others involved in your retaliation against your friend. It won't end well for you and frankly your current behavior isn't any better than what your friend did.

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I'm just curious, what would you have done if it were a violation? Sue her?

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

If you plan to report her to her boss, then make sure to take the following equally important and relevant steps:

(1) Report your husband to his boss for telling her the secret.

(2) Report your "friend" to Mark Zuckerberg for a breach of Facebook ethics.

Oh did that sound irrational? So is what you planned to do.

Did she even know it was supposed to be a secret; did your husband tell her that? Or maybe he didn't, but after seeing how pissed you were, he said he did tell her to keep it a secret? Who really knows.

Your plan to "tell on her" with the intent to ruin her professional reputation is every bit as reprehensible as what she did...maybe more, if she didn't know how what she did would affect you. Are you really going to intentionally stoop to her level, or lower? What does that say about you?

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I have seen facebook cause much more angst than it's close to being worth. Just because somebody finds something out it doesn't mean they have to share it with the rest of the world via the internet. Both you and your husband choose poorly with confiding information and choosing "friends". This is not a HIPAA or nursing issue. Personally I think if you try to make this either you will look like a fool. Take this digital "world" for what it is. A nice distraction and a way to converse. Don't confuse the facebook world with the real one & talk to you husband about keeping your relationship between the two of you instead of looking for input from people (for all you know) who maybe sitting around naked in tin-foil hats waiting for the Martians to pick them up.

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