NY Times article about HIPAA impact

Editorial Team / Admin · Aug 10, 2014

Better Hipaa than HIPPA, which seems to be the most common mistake.

Semolina · Aug 10, 2014

I just googled and found this explanation of the Times' usage, which I had failed to notice despite reading the Times fairly often.

The Grammarphobia Blog: Why doesn't the NY Times capitalize AIPAC?

psu_213, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2014

I just googled and found this explanation of the Times' usage, which I had failed to notice despite reading the Times fairly often.
The Grammarphobia Blog: Why doesn't the NY Times capitalize AIPAC?

So, as a geek, I actually find this article quite interesting. Not sure the NYT has the authority to make the 4 letter rule "canon." Probably just the liberal media's sense of superiority. :sneaky: (just--sorta--kidding of course) It seems to me to make more sense to capitalize the letters that stand for proper nouns--like the I in AIPAC stands for Israel, so I would think it should be capitalized. So it doesn't look silly, the entire thing should probably be capitalized then. Since nothing in HIPAA, or Hippa, is a proper noun, I would think it is OK to not capitalize those letters. JMHO

klone, MSN, RN · Aug 10, 2014

But an acronym is typically capitalized

ETA: (or, eta, as it were)

I stand corrected. Bravo, NYT. You are of superior intellect than I.

However, it is also a fact that many acronyms do not stand for proper nouns and thus are never to be capitalized in their written-out forms. The acronym ATM, for example, is rendered as "automatic teller machine," CD as "compact disc" or "certificate of deposit," PI as "private investigator," APB as "all-points bulletin," UHF as "ultra-high frequency," and so on. Likewise, in sentence 3 in the opening exercise, the phrase "frequently asked questions" in the write-out for the acronym FAQ should not be capitalized.

http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/011309capitalizationinsentences.htm

klone, MSN, RN · Aug 10, 2014

Oh oh ! But HIPAA is the title of an act, therefore, it's a proper noun! Shazam!

duskyjewel · Aug 11, 2014

Let's all start referring to said newspaper as the nyt and see how they like it.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Aug 11, 2014

Well....back to the article....I think HIPAA/hipaa is sometimes gping too far. If the mother gave a picture of the baby for display it is permission. No HIPAA here.

klone, MSN, RN · Aug 11, 2014

Well....back to the article....I think HIPAA/hipaa is sometimes gping too far. If the mother gave a picture of the baby for display it is permission. No HIPAA here.

But HIPAA compliance also requires a signed release form, along with an expiration date. None of the women who sent in photos of their babies actually signed a form allowing the photo to be displayed (implicit permission is apparently not good enough).