Assessment 2 Protected Health Information (PHI): Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Best Practices

 PHI (Protected Health Information)

A patient’s Protected Health Information (PHI) includes any information that can be located in their medical records and be used to identify them in some way, such as their name, age, or ailment. Other examples of PHI include information that can be used to contact them or provide them with treatment. Information that can be used to contact a patient or give medical treatment to a patient is another type of protected health information (PHI). The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, more commonly referred to as HIPAA, is a piece of legislation that was enacted in April 2003 with the intention of protecting healthcare professionals, patients, and health insurance companies. HIPAA is more commonly referred to by its acronym, which stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The acronym HIPAA is also frequently shortened to “HIPAA” (William C. Shiel Jr., 2018).

 

Privacy, security, and confidentially

During the course of providing treatment for a patient, you should never, under any circumstances, reveal any information about that patient to anyone other than the interdisciplinary team that is responsible for providing care for that patient. This rule applies even if you learn something about a patient in the course of providing treatment for that patient. A patient’s protected health information (PHI) could be compromised in a variety of ways, some of which are included in the list of potential scenarios that are provided below: revealing patient information to a coworker or acquaintance who is not involved in the patient’s care; sending a provider a message via text that includes medical information; publishing about patients on social media; sending a message through text that contains medical information to a provider. It is possible that a patient’s privacy has been violated if their medical history is disclosed in any way, regardless of whether the disclosure was intentional or accidental. This is the case regardless of whether or not the information was exposed on purpose or by mistake.

Social media Do’s and Don’ts:

The use of social media in the field of medicine is associated with a number of challenges, in addition to the potential advantages that may be acquired by doing so, which are discussed further below. Education, relationships with physicians and nurse practitioners, nurses supporting other coworkers who work at the same place of employment, and providing family members and other relatives of patients with up-to-date current information are some of the benefits that can result from using social media. Other potential advantages include the possibility of fostering professional growth.

When using social media, you must remember to always keep a professional demeanor, offer information that is always accurate, and adhere to the standards set forth by HIPAA. Always consider your post before publishing it, and be aware of the social media policies at your place of employment. Also, avoid posting from your place of employment, refrain from defaming the nursing profession, and avoid including patient names, images, or anecdotes. (Ek, 2018).

Potential Consequences

When using social media improperly results in a HIPAA violation, the state board of nursing may be notified. According to the Nation Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN), 2018 disciplinary proceedings, the loss of a nursing license, and fines of up to $50,000 may result from a HIPAA violation. Over the years, several nurses have been fired for violating HIPAA on social media.

Prevention

Healthcare institutions have various measures in place to help them avoid paying any costs resulting from employees violating a patient’s confidentiality, security, or privacy. One method is to offer staff yearly or more frequently updated HIPAA education classes. Warn the personnel not to open spam emails because doing so could seriously compromise the facility’s security. Another technique to safeguard a patient’s PHI is to always shred any documents containing medical information, such as prescriptions, and to never throw anything out or leave a computer with patient data unattended or unlocked (Borten, 2016).

 

 

References

Borten, K. (2016, August 19). The Role of Nurses in HIPAA Compliance, Healthcare Security HealthITSecurity. https://healthitsecurity.com/news/the-role-of-nurses-in-hipaa- compliance-healthcare-security.

Ek, J. (2018, May 17). Social Media Dos And Don’ts For Nurses – Blog. Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™. https://engage.healthynursehealthynation.org/blogs/8/1507.