How open are an American's medical records?

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?

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).

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! :smiley:

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.

:eek:

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.