Q. I work in patient financial services at a hospital. Like me, several of my coworkers have aging parents. Sometimes at lunch, we discuss the medical problems of our parents, who are not patients at our hospital. My supervisor says these discussions of family members' medical problems violate HIPAA. Is this true?
The challenge of complying with HIPAA privacy and security requirements is significant for physicians, particularly those in small practices, says Robert Rowley, MD, whose Hayward, CA, office has functioned without paper records since 2002.
Q. May a preadmission nurse leave messages (e.g., “This is a reminder that your surgery is tomorrow; please don’t drink or eat anything after midnight.”) on an answering machine or mobile phone voice mail?
Many physicians and physician practices have gotten a break from the Red Flags Rule—the law intended to prevent identity theft and medical identity theft—thanks to Congress.
