Is this a HIPAA violation?

[Violetdiscovery]

In clinical, we are allowed to share our secondary patients and thus share the workload.

Can we share patient information to one another by taking a photo of, say, the lab values of our patient? In this way we are only sharing (taking photos) of values that we have written on our care plan and NOT taking photos of the patients medical record in any way.

Any insight would be helpful! Thanks

[MickeysMom]

HIPAA

[haleyanna19]

I wouldn't see anything wrong w/it. Just don't share the info w/other patients. (I.E., telling patient in room 205 that the patient in room 207 has a WBC of 150k and prob has an infection) why couldn't the student that is helping you find the lab values for his/herself? Why do you have to take a picture of them?

[CuriousMe]

In clinical, we are allowed to share our secondary patients and thus share the workload.

Can we share patient information to one another by taking a photo of, say, the lab values of our patient? In this way we are only sharing (taking photos) of values that we have written on our care plan and NOT taking photos of the patients medical record in any way.

Any insight would be helpful! Thanks

I'd check with your clinical prof. We weren't allowed to take photos of anything. I agree with the above poster, why couldn't the both of you just copy down the lab values?

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I see it more of potentially being a facility violation as opposed to a HIPPA.

Still would never ever ever do that.

[NCRNMDM, ASN, RN]

I would never do that, regardless of whether or not it is a violation of HIPPA or hospital policy. Even though it sounds innocent enough (it isn't like you're blatantly giving out patient information) it seems a sensitive enough issue that it would violate something. If it doesn't violate HIPPA, which I'm not positive that it doesn't, it probably violates hospital policy. I agree with the other posters, the student who is helping you should find the values for him/herself and write them down. You need to get yourself in the habit of avoiding anything that could be misconstrued as a violation of HIPPA or hospital policy so that once you get your RN you are less likely to encounter any situations.

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

Not safe, don't do it. If they can access the chart, they can look up that stuff themselves. If I took a patient cared for by another student, I always did the legwork myself.