HIPPA VIOLATION ?!?!
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MonkeyArrow
Forum Asst. Chief
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Yes. This is probably a HIPAA violation.
NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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Maybe. More likely a violation of your company's social media policy.
E tank
Caution: Paralyzing Agent
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News media report addresses all of the time.
PotatoMedic
Has no idea what I'm doing.
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Yeah that is true. But they do not have to comply with HIPAA.
E tank
Caution: Paralyzing Agent
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did not know that...interestingly police and fire departments are not either, but EMT's and greater are. Murky....
DesertMedic66
Forum Troll
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Look up online who HIPAA applies to. Once you get that answer it will make it much more clear why fire departments and police departments do not.
CALEMT
The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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For the love of God its HIPAA.
akflightmedic
Forum Deputy Chief
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Banging my head against the wall...so sick of people in our industry who do not even know what HIPAA is, much less how to properly spell it.
Was at a meeting the other day at a volunteer fire station listening to the Chief explain how taking a picture on scene was a violation of HIPAA.
Was at a meeting the other day at a volunteer fire station listening to the Chief explain how taking a picture on scene was a violation of HIPAA.
NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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HIPAA has become the easy answer to use when trying to explain away any privacy concern. Many agencies are so deathly afraid of running afoul of the complicated HIPAA guideline that they just say "no" to everything. It's well worth your time to read and understand the guidelines so you can make points intelligently.
In the most simplistic terms, in the instance of EMS, anyone who creates a patient record and transmits it electronically is bound by some facets of HIPAA. That includes fire based EMS, even if they don't bill for their services.
The best way to stay on the good side of HIPAA is to NOT SHARE any protected health information (PHI) that may identify any patient. With anyone.
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WolfmanHarris
Forum Asst. Chief
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Are you not requiring to take regular training on HIPPAA? Our equivalent in Ontario in PHIPA (Personal Health Information Protection Act) and as Health Information Custodians (HIC's. I know.) we're required to take training on PHIPA and renew that training every two years. It's a nothing self-study package with some terrible video examples and an easy written test, but it's still a requirement for all staff who handle health information.
Our Service also has a full time access and privacy coordinator who handles all requests for release of records and is the go-to person for any PHIPA or other privacy issues (since we fall under some other non-health privacy laws as well). Generally though I'd say all of our Paramedics have a good understanding of PHIPA and what can and cannot be disclosed, how and to who.
Our Service also has a full time access and privacy coordinator who handles all requests for release of records and is the go-to person for any PHIPA or other privacy issues (since we fall under some other non-health privacy laws as well). Generally though I'd say all of our Paramedics have a good understanding of PHIPA and what can and cannot be disclosed, how and to who.
Operations Guy
Supreme Overlord
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Do I see a Chief AK in the future? Lol
NysEms2117
ex-Parole officer/EMT
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it may also help to understand why HIPAA exists, hint: its not entirely to protect patients... 
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I went to a healthcare conference earlier this summer. 300+ people in the room. Main presenter misspelled HIPAA everytime. And no, it wasn't like a header in the powerpoint presentation. This was in bullet points, footnotes, etc. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
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Entities that bill electronically are covered, so many fire agencies (and gasp even some cops) are indeed covered entities.
That said it's kind of become a catch a for "privacy violation," regardless of whether or not it actually applies.
That said it's kind of become a catch a for "privacy violation," regardless of whether or not it actually applies.
Yup, reminded me of a video I saw.
Police: "You can't take pictures of the patient, the paramedics told us to tell you it could be a HIPAA violation".
Cameraman: "You all should know what the f*** you talk about before you say it. I can take pictures of whatever I want in public".
Let's just say the police and paramedics left him alone after that. I seriously don't understand how healthcare providers do not know what HIPAA covers.
TransportJockey
Forum Chief
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Been there and done that when I've done photos of scenes. I purposely try to not get patients but I had a cop get pissed because I took pictures of apparatus.
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The funniest I have ever seen was a medic that walked 50ft over to a cameraman and said, "stop taking pictures and get that camera out of my face". Seriously, YOU walked over to MY camera!
DrParasite
The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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So I guess the biggest question for the OP is who posted it on social media, was it an approved posting by the agency in question, and why do they think it was a HIPAA violation?
gotbeerz001
Forum Deputy Chief
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Why are you posting your call screen on social media?
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