Was this unethical of me?

Updated:   Published

I'm a support staffer, and recently while charting on a patient, I thought, very quickly, "I wonder how old this person is." The person's age was literally right there on my record,  by their name, so I glanced at it, and then felt guilty. Ages of patients are routinely listed by their names, but I feel badly because I didn't need to know the age, it was personal curiosity. Was this glance unethical?

Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
CommunityRNBSN said:

Honestly, it is hard to differentiate idle curiosity from "need to know" sometimes.  I was working as a school nurse, and I saw a note in a child's chart about a tragedy that their family experienced.  I was really curious about it.  To justify it, I could say that as the nurse, I need to know the patient's background, so that I can be appropriately supportive (which is true).  I could also say that I have a prurient interest when I hear about a tragedy in my small town (which is also true).  Now, I didn't violate any privacy rules, but if I had, it would sort of be between me and Jesus whether I really "needed to know" all that info.

If and when that child starting acting out in school, as we know often happens after a tragedy, you would actually NEED to know that.

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Specializes in Surgical Specialty Clinic - Ambulatory Care.

Frankly, there is all sorts of seemingly unrelated information that can help one human service another human. After 15 years I stick to the 'basics' of HIPAA. So if I am caring for you in almost any capacity, I am all up in your chart. I will review any dang thing I want. Because all of it relates to you and oddly, everything down to your sister is living on your couch, and you have an abscess on your right calf will be something that leads me to taking certain actions even if what I'm caring for you is a gallbladder removal. 
If I'm not caring for you, I don't look at your chart, unless I am asked by a co-worker my opinion on your plan of care and then I am all up in your chart. So there are lots of reasons to open charts on people that are "not specifically" your patient. If they are well known community member or celebrity, then I totally stay out unless providing direct care. But let's be honest here, people who are well known community/celebrity members tend to have adequate income/insurance and family/friend resources and thus end up needing less people to pick their brains to solve problems. Just my experience.

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What possible support staff position that has access to a patient's chart exists in a hospital that doesn't require asking a name and birthday for patient identification? 
*Maybe* registration but only because you're getting an actual ID sometimes...?

Scribe? RX tech? Medical assistant? Nursing student? Rad tech? 
If you can get in the chart you're supposed to be verifying this info - actually makes me wonder why you haven't been...? 

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You are allowed access to the info you had. Looking at it - even if just for curiosity - isn't unethical in my opinion. If you clicked into areas you didn't need to to then yes, that is a problem. But not for looking at the info allowed to you in your job even if not directly relevant at that time. 

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Hopefulone said:

well, it's the "need to know" issue versus my own curiosity. I know that many folks involved in direct medical care would "need to know" the person's age, and in a larger sense I suppose that anyone involved in their holistic care would/should be aware so that we're sure that the person matches the name/age. But I as a support staffer (and not a medical professional), while having access to a patient's record, usually don't pay attention to their ages so much. My thought when I quickly looked at the age was, "Hmm, I wonder how old this person is" and again, it was just my own curiosity. Since I have the access to the patient's info, seeing the age wasn't "wrong" per se, but it was my personal wondering that makes me pause. So, I think I'll chock this up to simple human behavior that didn't violate anything, and keep on trucking ?

Slippery Slope.  Be careful.  The fact that you're questioning this and having some sort of internal struggle does draw attention to your true intent. I think it comes natural for most of us who posted that it is a part of our duty to get a more rounded picture of what we are dealing with, and wouldn't even give it a second thought, but for you, it was out of nosiness.  I appreciate your honesty.  I agree with the other posters that it is important to know this and hardly a big deal, however as you stated, you feel torn because of your curiosity and the ease at which you feel you did something wrong.  This is a good thing.  Perhaps you're on the road to self-discovery.  Maybe next time 'let me take a little peek at this', won't come so easy for ya, especially if it is a violation of any kind which clearly this is not.

Nice post, tho!!  ?

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Thanks for this! I've seen many patient's ages and other info in the course of necessary work, sometimes from necessity and sometimes from curiosity (much more from the 1st than the 2nd, of course). In fact, after posting my question above and while charting on another patient, my eyes quickly went to the age of the patient on the screen, and I thought, hold on, now, was that from curiosity, and if so, was it wrong? I think I'm going to give myself a break here (with the issue in general), and realize that as someone else here said, there is a human curiosity when we work with people, but ALSO that when our mind and eyes work so quickly together while doing our work, then yes, I may indeed look at the person's age, it isn't a bad, or invasive thing. I think maybe the key is in holding in confidence the information on a patient that I do see, certainly being mindful of appropriate vs inappropriate reading of patient info, not being neurotic, and also realizing that I am a human being and not a robot :). I sure appreciate all insight from all of you! 

 

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I'm so confused by people's responses to this. You are literally supposed to verify every patient by name and birthday. It is the standard and there's actually very few situations where you are not supposed to do so. 
 

It is the "gold standard" as set by the Joint Commission and recognized universally throughout our country as how to properly identify a patient. 
It is no ethics violation, no invasion of privacy, and absolutely no slippery slope. 
I'm actually VERY concerned that there are people out there that don't know this and/or don't do it...

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CommunityRNBSN said:

Now, I didn't violate any privacy rules, but if I had, it would sort of be between me and Jesus whether I really "needed to know" all that info.

I really like this :)!

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