Is making appts for friends/family/ a hipaa violation?

[hhnurse0407]

I feel like I have a good grasp on HIPAA but late night anxiety always gets me.

I heard something that I hadn't ran in to before. I have a girl that works for us that is also a family friend. Her long time boyfriend took a nasty fall last night and it resulted in a ER visit. They got out around 730am and were told to make an appt with so and so dr with a hospital system that I also work for in another department. She tried to call and make the appt today (she has made all his appts for years, he's a guy and just doesn't like talking to people on the phone, never been an issue before) and was told from the drs office that they would need permission from him to even MAKE AN APPT for him. Now this makes no sense to me because there isn't any health information passed by making an appt for him (other than the things she would give them like drs name, reason for appt, dob).

I called and told them what department I was from and that he needed an appt. I just told them he got out of the ER before they were open, scans were clear but the er said to make an appt with so and so dr as soon as possible.

They gave me an appt for him and it was done.

Now, as I said, my late night anxiety is making me worry but I still don't see a healthcare transfer, therefore no violation. I didn't know the information from the "clinical" setting and I did not access any of his information in the computer or anything. He wasn't my patient, I was just trying to help a friend. Nursing (particularly trying to do the right thing and worrying that somehow I'll get "dinged" as we say) has turned my anxiety up about 30000 notches and I'm only 8 years in!

opinions?

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I don't think that it is technically a HIPAA violation if all you did was make an appointment.

However, making an appointment in this manner probably circumvented your facility's P&P for scheduling patients, and THAT could be something you can be disciplined/terminated for. I can't speak for certain for your facility...but I doubt they'd do anything about this if it was a one-time occurrence. But I wouldn't make this a regular habit either.

I think you'll be fine. Best of luck.

[OCNRN63, RN]

He's a grown-up. I would have told him it was his responsibility to get the appt. I agree with Meri; you sort of did an end run around the procedure. If they wouldn't accept the call from his gf, he should have made the call.

I wouldn't do it again.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Doesn't really sound like a HIPAA violation, but it DOES sound like the boyfriend needs to man up and make his own durned appointments!!!! Reminds me of when I worked in a healthcare office and Mrs. Smith would call to make an appointment for hubby. You'd offer Tuesday at 3pm and she'd reply "hold on" and you'd hear "they can see you at 3 on Tuesday, should I take that?" Um, put your lazy husband on the phone Mrs. Smith!

[Mandychelle79, ASN, RN]

I make appointments all the time for my husband/mom. Why because I work 3-11 or 11-7 so am actually home when the offices are open. Ive never been told I cant.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

I agree with what everyone one else has said. Making the appt? Not a HIPAA violation. Saying you are from XYZ department? It makes is sound like you are acting in an official job-related role, not as a concerned friend. I doubt anything will come of it, but, in the future, allow your friend's BF to call for himself. If they try and guilt you into making future calls just tell them "I wish I could call, but it a violation of work policy and I could get into big trouble if I keep calling for him."

[Mortpm1]

Not a hipaa violation, but I was recently fired for taking a call from, and providing telephone advice to a friend. Many facilities, including mine have prohibitions against accessing records of family, friends, and co-workers. I had assumed (wrongly, according to them) that this meant [independently accessing records for my own personal use, but my facility tells me that because the patient sought me out personally (he asked for me by name), in my role of telephone advice nurse, that the chart access was deemed "for personal use" so even if you're minding you own business, on your shift, it's always a good idea to have someone unknown to the patient to provide the care. I learned this the hard way.

I thought I had good reasons that would matter to my employer. The patient was brand new to the system, and had not bonded with a care team. He has aspergers, and was extremely upset. He called the one person he knew and trusted in our company and asked for me. I did have a "boundary" discussion with him later, and asked him not to ask for me in the future. I helped him choose a pcp, helped him to set up online access.

Healthcare facilities are so freaked out by hipaa, it sometimes feels like being human and compassionate are now against the rules. I came up many years ago, I guess when we weren't so "professional" when it was still ok to hug a child, or cry, or pray with a grieving family member, but I've been told none of that is ok anymore.

I no longer want to be part of a caring profession where it is no longer an option to actually care about people in an open, human, spontaneous manner

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Mortpm, that is truly nauseating that they terminated you over this!! I don't even know anything about your former employer, but I'm certain you're better off without them =(