Please calm my HIPAA fears

[IreneTouTheou]

I know this will sound silly to most and likely, it is, but I've battled with fears about violating HIPAA for years. This is my latest fear, and I'd appreciate any reassurance you nurses might offer (I am not a nurse, but work in a healthcare facility):  recently someone outside of work (and with no connection to work) gave me a referral of someone who does a certain kind of service work. When they said the first and last name of the person, I replied out loud, "hmmm, that sounds familiar." Almost immediately, I thought to myself, "Oh no, do I know this person's name because they were a patient?" I don't know. I can't remember meeting a patient by that name, but still, I wonder. The person I was speaking to didn't know that I work in a healthcare facility, nor did I say anything to link my possible familiarity with the name to the healthcare facility, and logically, I might have heard the name in one of many places. But I'm sort of kicking myself for not self-editing and staying mum! 

[allnurses Admin Team]

Hello,

HIPAA applies to protected health information (PHI). Consider whether simply saying "that name sounds familiar" is providing PHI to another person or not. 

You have posted frequently regarding HIPAA; your employer should be providing annual education, often via an online learning management system and sometimes lumped in with other "compliance" topics. Perhaps it would help you to speak with your facility's staff development/educator for further discussion, or to seek out continuing education opportunities for yourself. You can check with free CE sites, your state's BON/nursing association, and other opportunities that May help you understand what constitutes a HIPAA violation.