Is video taping the room setup, drapes, staff during surgery a violation?

[T. Racine]

We work in heart surgery and had a perfusionist video taping the room. She was warned a month ago that taping a patient was a violation and she erased it. Last week she was video taping the room layout except that it was during a case. No faces, body parts, or names were seen but we are wondering if this is still a violation. The party claims the pictures are used to train other agency perfusionists and for the protocol books but what say you? The supervisor was notified and shown a video of that person videotaping-is that a violation as well?

Thanks

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

We work in heart surgery and had a perfusionist video taping the room. She was warned a month ago that taping a patient was a violation and she erased it. Last week she was video taping the room layout except that it was during a case. No faces, body parts, or names were seen but we are wondering if this is still a violation. The party claims the pictures are used to train other agency perfusionists and for the protocol books but what say you? The supervisor was notified and shown a video of that person videotaping-is that a violation as well?

Thanks

Not a HIPAA violation in the least. Neither of them. Where's the violation of any patient's private health information?

Was somebody cell-phone videotaping the supervisor videotaping the perfusionist videotaping the set-up? Not a HIPAA violation there either UNLESS there is PHI in the cell phone.

So, to recap: The perfusionist is free and clear, in part because the surgical consent usually OKs photos or videos for educational purposes AND there was no PHI involved. The other people are stupid, and anyone who got any actual PHI is doubly stupid because they may have violated HIPAA.

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Is this a teaching hospital? There is quite a bit of video taping at my hospital, all for education purposes. Most of our OR cases are video taped,....not sure why there was such a stink made here. Perhaps your doc quit because the hospital was too difficult to work for? :)

[OCNRN63, RN]

BTW, that perfusionist with a perfect record over 17 years has resigned.

Sounds like the supervisor had it in for her. It's a shame she left, but if she'd stayed it would have only been a matter of time.

[OCNRN63, RN]

Not a HIPAA violation in the least. Neither of them. Where's the violation of any patient's private health information?

Was somebody cell-phone videotaping the supervisor videotaping the perfusionist videotaping the set-up? Not a HIPAA violation there either UNLESS there is PHI in the cell phone.

So, to recap: The perfusionist is free and clear, in part because the surgical consent usually OKs photos or videos for educational purposes AND there was no PHI involved. The other people are stupid, and anyone who got any actual PHI is doubly stupid because they may have violated HIPAA.

Oh, to be as succinct as GT.