representatives from disclosing
confidential information. CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION may include:
CONFIDENTIALITY
Every patient has the right to privacy and confidentiality. It
is your responsibility to keep information confidential. Federal law prohibits hospital You must ask the patient’s permission before discussing health
related issues when family or visitors are around.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND ETHICS
What is Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act? (HIPAA)
Compliance with healthcare
regulations is an ongoing challenge for hospitals and healthcare workers. The
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a new federal
law that introduced sweeping changes that started in 2002. The law
provides new safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of patient
information. The
privacy section of this law is the most difficult to implement. It took effect in April 2003 and requires all
healthcare workers to think of ways to continuously protect patient
privacy. As part of its ongoing
compliance efforts, RMH continues to share ways to protect patient privacy and
provides education on new procedures that will help ensure patient information
remains confidential.
As an employee, volunteer or associate of RMH you are obligated to protect patient confidentiality. All employees, volunteers, and associates are responsible for maintaining patient confidentiality.
There are many ways that we can all protect the patient’s privacy.
Information you SEE:
Do not read information about
those patients you are not
treating.
Do not read faxed information if
it is not addressed to you.
Use medical record information for
the treatment and care of the
patient for legitimate hospital business only.
Information you SAY:
Speak quietly.
Be aware of people within hearing distance, and
limit conversations when others are
near.
Discuss patient information in a
private area. If you share information about a patient with someone,
it should be based on a need to know. Staff caring for a patient has a need to know.
Federal law prohibits healthcare representatives
from disclosing information without their prior consent
Do not leave personal health
information on a voicemail or answering machine.
Do not share health information with
family members of patients without patient authorization.
DO NOT MENTION PATIENT’S NAMES OR
INFORMATION ABOUT PATIENT’S
OUTSIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION.
Patient confidentiality is most
often breached because of the high level of concern
and care our staff has for their patients. Discussing a patient to family, friends,
church or club members, etc. is a breach of a patient’s confidentiality. This can be
grounds for immediate dismissal/removal of any volunteer, employee, student, or associate.
Information you HEAR:
If you should not have heard
information in the first
place do not repeat the information.
Tell the person who is discussing
someone’s health
information that it sounds confidential and you would
prefer to not hear the discussion.
Information you USE:
Keep all patient information
covered. Don’t leave it where
authorized people can see it.
Don’t share passwords.
Today’s technology provides instant
access to information, but can also make patient information more
accessible to individuals who may not have a right to know.
Here are a few tips to maintain
confidentiality via technology.
Log off computers when you have
completed
your tasks.
Faxes and emails are never secure.
Double
double check fax numbers.
Cell and portable phones can be
heard over other
other phone lines and CB’s.
Place callers on hold so they do
not have
access to conversations in the background.
Alpha-Numeric beepers/pager
messages
can be read by anyone if left unattended.
If you have a concern about how information is being
shared, call the RMH Compliance Hotline
1-866-826-6759, and let them know about your concern.