How does this apply to diseases like AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease, don’t most if not all states require you give the person’s name to a central state agency?
[QUOTE=iturntoyou]
How does this apply to diseases like AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease, don’t most if not all states require you give the person’s name to a central state agency?
[/QUOTE]
Yes, HIV is a reportable disease. To fail to report it is a violation. But the agency to whom it is reported is also held by statute to strict confidence.
Similar rules apply to some other STDs and reportable infections (such as TB).
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan]
But arguments like this are why I no longer post any extended anecdotes about clinical encounters with patients. Someone always declares I am violating HIPAA by doing so. Despite proper anonymization on my part, which frankly exceeds the anonymization required by HIPAA, someone makes a crusade of this so-called violation.
[/QUOTE]
This makes me sad. Can’t you just write up a generic “this is why this post doesn’t violate HIPAA” and use it as a footnote in your OP each time? Because I really love your posts about interactions with some of your more entertaining patients! 
[QUOTE=EJsGirl]
This makes me sad. Can’t you just write up a generic “this is why this post doesn’t violate HIPAA” and use it as a footnote in your OP each time? Because I really love your posts about interactions with some of your more entertaining patients!
[/QUOTE]
Because doing that in the past never ended the arguments about how horrible I was for violating HIPAA from certain posters.
And while I can put such as do that on ‘ignore’ here at the message board, it doesn’t prevent them from emailing me or even my employer and regulatory agencies with their baseless accusations.
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan]
And while I can put such as do that on ‘ignore’ here at the message board, it doesn’t prevent them from emailing me or even my employer and regulatory agencies with their baseless accusations.
[/QUOTE]
:eek:
[QUOTE=Risha]
:eek:
[/QUOTE]
Indeed.
However, it’s really not a board matter, and I shouldn’t have brought it up, frankly. It’s not caused me any problems with employer or regulators (as they recognize how HIPAA should be properly applied too) but I’ll let it serve as an explanation as for why I don’t post nearly so much about life behind the walls.
A pity, but I don’t need the aggravation.
'nuff said.