Question on confidentiality and HIPAA

[guest998179]

I'm an employee in a healthcare facility. Recently a patient asked me a question about their care plan. I knew about the plan and what it might mean for this patient's life, but didn't feel that I was the one to tell them because it wasn't my role (and I thought that what I knew may upset them), and so I said, "I don't know ... but you can ask (the right person from the right discipline/department)." I felt a bit compromising and uneasy about saying that I didn't know (when I did), so later I spoke to someone in another department to get some insight. The coworker I spoke to is not part of the patient's care team, so I did not mention the patient's name, unit, gender, but used generalities, telling them that a patient was concerned about (this particular issue, naming it), and that I was struggling with the appropriateness of my response, and this coworker gave me some advice on what I'd said. With the many patients in our midst, I really don't think this person will know which patient I was describing, but do you think my sharing my concern with this other staffer broke any HIPAA or confidentiality on the patient's behalf?

[Bug Out, BSN]

The rules on who is and is not on the care team are much looser than what you are imagining.
You were speaking to someone about the care of the patient seeking professional advice, that is 100% permitted. 

The spirit of HIPAA is to prevent gossiping, not to make healthcare top secret. Seeking advice in a professional setting, in a professional manner, for professional reasons is entirely allowed.

[guest998179]

Thank you so much for this. I felt better after thinking on it awhile, and your insight helps.