Activity 1.3.2 Confidentiality

9. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE about HIPPA?

It is a law adopted in 2006 to provide standards fro health care related electronics transactions.

3. A 14-year-old freshman is pregnant and visits her OB/GYN. Her mother comes with her and comes into the doctor's office for the visit. She asks the doctor many questions about the due date, the heart rate of the baby, methods of delivery, genetic risks, etc. The doctor answers all of the mother's questions. Was HIPAA violated?

No because all the girl's medical information may be shared by the doctor to the mother until the girl reaches 18 years old.

5. At the age of 35, Anna Garcia is diagnosed with the H1N1 flu (also known as the swine flu). She is hospitalized with severe symptoms but recovered with no problems. Her doctor reports her illness to the local department of public health. was HIPAA violated?

No because health information must be disclosed to public health authorities for the purpose of preventing the spread of H1N1 flu.

6. A 32-year old immigrant from a patriarchal country is giving birth. As she is delivering the baby, she tearfully confesses to her doctor that this is her 4th child and she simply cannot handle any more children. She tells the doctor that her husband refuses to use contraception or allow her to, and she begs her doctor to tie her Fallopian tubes and not tell her husband. The doctor complies. was HIPPA violated?

No because it was the woman's personal decision to let her doctor tie her Fallopian tubes and not tell her husband.

4. Two doctors are having a private lunch together in the physician dining room, which is empty. As they eat they talk about the man with the terrible abscesses that they recently treated. They joke about how bad they smelled and about the fact that the juice that squirted out when they punctured one of the abscesses hit the nurse right in the face. Was HIPAA violated?

No because they were speaking in a private area together and both of them had Bob as a patient.

2. A physical therapist and a nurse are riding in the elevator together. During their ride they loudly discuss a patient they both have had for some time now.The elevator is full of people who can all hear them refer to the patient by name. Was HIPAA violated?

Yes because the patient should not have been discussed in a public place such as an elevator.

10. A mother emailed her son's teacher about his history of seizures. Months later, the teacher replied to the email to tell the mother about discipline problems. Communication eventually became very hostile. The teacher forwarded the conversation to her best friend, a teacher at the same school. The teacher's friend does not have this boy in her class. The information about the boy's seizures was at the very bottom of the email strand. was HIPPA violated?

Yes because the teacher's best friend did not have the student in her class. Therefore, teacher must be fired.

7. Two nurses are shopping together after work. As they walk around, they talk about their patient Barbara. Although she's in the hospital for diabetes treatment, they discuss the fact that her crazy "bug-eyes" means she probably has an overactive thyroid (Graves' disease). They wonder aloud whether to tell Barbara their suspicions. was HIPPA violated?

Yes because the two nurses spoke about Barbara in a shopping center which is a public place.

1. A 33-year old woman visited her doctor for a routine check-up. The doctor called back a week later to report the lab results. The husband answered the phone, and the doctor shared the results with the husband. Was HIPAA violated?

Yes because the woman did not sign a permission slip that allows the husband to look into her medical information.