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Discussion

Walking rounds and HIPPA

Our hospital is going to have walking rounds. I have done them in the past, however, all our rooms were private.

The vast majority of the rooms at this hospital are double rooms.

How do you do walking rounds without violating HIPPA? I know if I was in one of those beds, I would NOT want people talking about my issues in front of the other pt. The manager said we can't stand outside the door either, but have to be IN the room.

Oh and how this will work when we have to give chart reporting and double sign orders off at the beginning and end of shift. I can't imagine trying to juggle 5 charts, plus the MARS book, that is suppose to be double signed as well. It's stupid! We don't have cubbies by the door. All charts are kept in the nurses station. I want a cart if this is going to be the case.

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    Our hospital is going to have walking rounds. I have done them in the past, however, all our rooms were private.

    The vast majority of the rooms at this hospital are double rooms.

    How do you do walking rounds without violating HIPPA? I know if I was in one of those beds, I would NOT want people talking about my issues in front of the other pt. The manager said we can't stand outside the door either, but have to be IN the room.

    Not violating HIPAA in the context of semi-private rooms may seem like an impossible task, but I think you just try your best to reduce the the level of sound in the room. Pull the curtain and speak in a lower tone, if possible (not possible with a HOH patient!).

    We would hope that any reasonable patient would see that some situations can't be helped! I think HIPAA violations would be more unforgivable if NO attempt was made to protect a patient's privacy.

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    Well, I just can't see it working and trying to keep it quiet will be impossible. I hope we don't have to do walking rounds in isolation rooms.:rolleyes::uhoh3:

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    Supposedly overhearing patient info in a semi-private room doesn't violate the law of HIPAA even if it very obviously violates the spirit of keeping things private.

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    Try not violating it in a six bed ambulatory surgical "pod" where the beds are separated by curtains. You do the best you can under the circumstances.

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    Hi:

    We are in the ED. What we do is give a verbal report privately then round to each room quickly to see if the patient needs anything and let the pt know the status of their disposition at that time or let them know that the dr. will be in soon as their tests have come back, etc. Even with patients in their own rooms, it is difficult to give a full report while rounding without violating HIPPA as patients and family members from other rooms are always kind of standing around and waiting for their results.

    This seems to work pretty well as we get a quick look at the patient to make sure all is well, the patient and family see us (which lets them know we are aware of them and their status), and we are also "covered" on camera as doing walking rounds.

    Carla

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    federal hippa law is a joke, there is no private right of action (you can't sue someone for violating it, the federal government has to, good luck with that). it was basically designed to nail the very big and/or obvious violations.

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    This is an area that has driven me nuts with regard to HIPAA. In a semi-private room the patient in the next bed AND their visitors get to hear every intimate detail of your case. Doctors tend to act like these people are deaf when they walk in and loudly announce your test results. Office people come in and want to talk about that little "insurance problem". The CNA comes in and says "are you ready to get off the bedpan now?" The nurse walks in and says in a very loud voice that you need an enema since you haven't had had a BM in three days. Sheesh!

    Don't EVEN get me started on the total lack of privacy at a dialysis center where you have 40 chairs in a wide open area.

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    As long as you ask the patient's permission to do report in front of them, you are not violating HIPAA. If you say, "Mrs. Jones, this is Sue and she'll be your nurse tonight. I'm going to give her report on you now, is that OK?" If the patient says, "Yes" you're covered.

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    • Author
    As long as you ask the patient's permission to do report in front of them, you are not violating HIPAA. If you say, "Mrs. Jones, this is Sue and she'll be your nurse tonight. I'm going to give her report on you now, is that OK?" If the patient says, "Yes" you're covered.

    I like that idea. Then I can take my excessive stack of charts and sit down and give report, if she says no. LOL.

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