HIPAA
Posted By: SoCal on 2006-01-25
In Reply to: Thank you - George Catuogno
Subject: HIPAA
After reading all the messages under this thread, it is apparent that a couple of posters under this thread do not know what exactly HIPAA is!?
Here are some links regarding HIPAA:
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacysummary.pdf
http://www.mcg.edu/Research/OHRP/hac/polsect43.htm
Excerpts from the text contained in the second link:
The Privacy Rule establishes privacy standards to protect a person’s protected health information (PHI), including research activities.
PHI is defined as:
1. Names
2. Geographic subdivisions smaller than a State, including street address, city, county, precinct, zip code and their equivalent geocodes, except for the initial 3 digits of the zip code if, according to the current policy available from the Bureau of the Census:
a. The geographic unit formed by combining all zip codes with the same 3 initial digits contains more than 20,000 people; AND
b. The initial 3 digits of the zip code for all geographic units containing 20,000 or fewer people is changed to 000.
3. Dates (except year) directly related to an individual (e.g., date of birth, discharge date, date of death) and all ages over 89 and all elements of dates (including year) indicative of such age, except that such ages and elements may be aggregated into a single category of age 80 or older
4. Telephone numbers
5. Fax numbers
6. Electronic mail addresses
7. Social Security Numbers
8. Medical Record Numbers
9. Health plan beneficiary numbers
10. Account numbers
11. Certificate/license numbers
12. Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers, including license plate numbers
13. Device identifiers and serial numbers
14. Web Universal Research Locators (URL)
15. Internet Protocol (IP) address numbers
16. Biometric identifiers, including finger and voice prints
17. Full face photographic images and any comparable images; and
18. Any other unique identifying number, characteristic or code
Though the above list does not seem to be a complete list under the Privacy rule, there was NOTHING in the report that NewbieMT posted that would actually IDENTIFY the patient to say that THAT particular OP REPORT was patient John/Jane Doe's! Therefore that report she posted DID NOT fall under HIPAA violation as it was not an "individually identifiable health information" of that "anonymous patient" who CONTINUES to remain "anonymous", whom NewbieMT took every care to protect. Therefore, in my opinion, she did comply with HIPAA.
EVERY MT was a Newbie once upon a time, and someone should give wings for the newbies and teach them how to fly instead of putting them through a court-martial.
Having said that, I would like to point out that posters are better off seeking the permission of the Administrator before posting such reports in their entirety on this forum, as this is a privately-owned message board, and the Administrator gets to make her/his own rules of posting around here.
I think it's time to end this thread and move on.
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you can do that. The HIPAA police won't come find you LOL
Subject: you can do that. The HIPAA police won't come find you LOL
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HIPAA...jeez..hate when I flub making a point..but stil..that is one sad post!
Subject: HIPAA...jeez..hate when I flub making a point..but stil..that is one sad post!
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