Q&A: Schools requiring detailed doctor's notes

Q: My child’s school requires parents to send a doctor’s note when a student is out sick for more than two days. Recently, the school secretary called me after my child missed some school time and said that the doctor’s note was not detailed enough for the school to accept it. Although I was reluctant, I got a more detailed note from our family doctor and gave that to the school. Later, my child’s teacher spoke to me and mentioned information she could only have learned if she had read the note. Is this a HIPAA violation? Are schools covered by HIPAA if they request doctor’s notes?

A: This is not a HIPAA violation. Schools are not CEs under HIPAA, so the information loses its protection when released to a school or another non-covered entity. You may want to discuss your concerns with the school’s principal, though. You were prudent to try to limit the amount of information provided to the school.

Editor’s note: Question answered by Mary Brandt, a healthcare consultant specializing in healthcare regulatory compliance and operations improvement. This information does not constitute legal advice. Consult legal counsel for answers to specific privacy and security questions. Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not represent HCPro or ACDIS. Email your HIPAA questions to Associate Editor Heidi Samuelson at hsamuelson@hcpro.com.