Question- HIPAA violation?

[co1956]

I am a first year nursing student. We are learning how to chart right now. My classmates and I do studyguides and post notes about class on Facebook. I found an EXAMPLE of narritive charting on a website and posted the example and the link. I then recieved a message from a friend that is a nurse saying to delete the post because I violated HIPAA? It was just an example of what nurse's notes would look like. How am I violating HIPAA by posting an example?

[mammac5]

If it's not a real patient then you cannot have violated anyone's privacy. Having said that, it's better if you're using an example from some made-up patient to say that's what you're doing specifically; also you could use an obviously fake name for the "patient" such as "Patty Patient" or "Susie Sick". That way no one will confuse or misunderstand and think you're doing something bad when you aren't.

In this day and age, we have to be extra careful about any appearance of doing something wrong because there's always someone out there ready to bust us. Also...it wouldn't hurt to set up some sort of group email list you and your friends could use to post to, rather than something as public as Facebook.

[DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN]

I have to agree. Although this is not a violation it would have the appearance, at first glance, as one. This is supported by your friend the nurse's reaction. Be extremely careful because people do not read carefully and can easily come to the wrong conclusion about a post.

[happy2learn]

You need to just allow the people in your group to see the link. You can hide everyone else from seeing it.

Next to "share" there is a lock button. Click on it and you will see "Friends of Friends", "Friends Only", "Everyone", or "Customize"

If you customize, you can make a group of all the people that you want to see this link.

But to answer your question, if it was only an example, it was not a violation. Some people overreact and make everything a HIPAA violation.

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

Thank you everyone for spelling HIPAA correctly

[caliotter3]

Whenever I use an example for any reason, I let the person I am speaking to know about how I use examples: composites of made up information along with bits and pieces from several sources. There is never anything that is ever clearly identifiable to any one patient I have ever taken care of and I make certain this is known.