HIPAA Violation?
You tell your friend:
"My neighbor came into the clinic today for depression."
Yes, you've revealed identity and health information.
What is HIPAA?
HIPAA = Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
A provider quickly skims a chart and says, “This is probably anxiety again,” before fully examining the patient’s symptoms.
Biased. Premature labelling can lead to missed medical issues, even if anxiety is common.
What is bias?
When quick judgments or assumptions about someone based on things like appearance, age, or background occur.
What are the 4 basic principles of h/c ethics?
Respect for patient choices (Autonomy), Do good (Beneficence), Do no harm (Nonmaleficence), Be fair (Justice)
You take a selfie in the clinic.
A patient chart is visible in the background.
Yes, patient information can be exposed.
What counts as PHI?
Patient names, birthdates, phone numbers, addresses, patient photos, medical conditions, medications, insurance information, and lab results.
A clinician uses a family member to interpret instead of waiting for a medical interpreter because “it will take too long.”
Biased, problematic practice. It can reduce accuracy and patient autonomy, even if it seems efficient.
What is unfair bias?
It can affect how people are treated.
What does nonmaleficence mean?
Do No Harm
You recognize your teacher as a patient. The next day at school, you say,
"I saw Mrs. Smith at the clinic!"
Yes, even acknowledging that someone is a patient is protected information.
What is the social media rule?
If it happened in the clinic, don't post about it.
A provider assumes a patient who frequently misses appointments is “non-compliant”.
Biased. Does not consider transport, cost, work, or other social factors.
What is unconscious bias?
We don’t realize we’re doing it.
What does beneficence mean?
Healthcare professionals should:
You look over a nurse's shoulder to read a patient's chart because you're curious, but you don’t tell anyone.
Yes, you should only access information you're specifically allowed to see.
You are shadowing in primary care and see someone from your class last year. The program is over with and school starts again. You see them in the hall while walking with your friend. You tell your friend, "Oh, I saw him this summer at the clinic."
Saying, "I saw him this summer at the clinic," can violate HIPAA because it discloses that an identifiable person received care at a healthcare facility. Even without sharing medical details, confirming someone's patient status is protected information learned through your role in healthcare.
A clinic uses the same intake checklist for every patient, even if some patients seem frustrated or rushed.
Fair treatment doesn’t mean identical treatment—it means...
Everyone gets what they need with respect and dignity.
What does autonomy mean?
Patients have the right to:
Even if you disagree, healthcare workers respect patient choices.
You ask your supervising physician questions about a patient after leaving the patient's room.
No, educational discussions with your supervisor are appropriate.
You see a friend walk in for her behavioral health appointment while shadowing, but she does not see you. The next day, you see her at the gym and ask her how she is doing, and make plans with her since you are concerned for her well-being.
You don't violate HIPAA since you did not share any information. You are just acting as a concerned friend and did not share that you saw her or anything from the clinic interaction.
A child comes in with their parent for stomach pain. During the visit, the clinician asks the parent, “When did it start? Have they been eating normally? Any vomiting?” The clinician then concludes the visit based on the parent’s description and sends them home with medication for nausea.
Biased. Even young patients can describe their own pain. Excluding them because of age may lead to an incomplete understanding.
A female patient reports ongoing fatigue, dizziness, and irregular symptoms that are affecting daily life. After reviewing basic labs, the clinician says:
“This is probably just hormonal fluctuations.”
No further testing or evaluation is ordered at that time, and the symptoms are attributed to hormones without exploring other possible causes.
Biased. Assuming it's "just hormones" leads to under-investigation. Poses the question "Would the care coordination be the same if the patient were a man?"
What does justice mean?
It means that every patient gets the same respectful, high-quality care, no matter who they are or what they look like.