pictures of patient posted by RNs

[Aidey]

Hmm....

I agree that the nurses behavior was totally unethical, and inappropriate and firing them was probably the best move.

However, if the x-rays did not have any identifying information on them that could identify the person, hospital, date etc then I don't think they should be prosecuted.

I see a bit of a slippery slope here when it comes to using things like EGKs, X-Rays, CT scans etc for education purposes. When I was a MICP student we had to do case studies, and we never obtained permission from the patient when doing these studies. The only requirements were that the patient was someone we had direct interaction with, and we had to scrub the medical records of everything but age and gender before removing them from the hospital.

My concern is that things used for educational purposes could be caught up in regulations aimed towards preventing things like this from happening.

 

[VentMedic]

For those in Florida, here is a review of patient privacy laws and statutes regulating access to medical records:
http://www.flsenate.gov/data/Publications/2005/Senate/reports/interim_reports/pdf/2005-142he.pdf

 

[VentMedic]

However, if the x-rays did not have any identifying information on them that could identify the person, hospital, date etc then I don't think they should be prosecuted.

I believe you will find a quote similar to this, although the penalty may vary, in many hospital policies even though this one is taken directly from the CA link I posted earlier.

The new law gives the CDPH authority to impose fines of up to $25,000 for each patient whose medical information may have been accessed, used or disclosed in an unauthorized manner.

Your school may have an educational permit to access information. However, watch how fast that privilege disappears if someone was to use their cell phone to photograph actual documents and patients in the hospital.

 

[MMiz]

Nurses Take Cell Phone Pictures of Patient - Case Referred To FBI

Nurses Fired Over Cell Phone Photos Of Patient
Case Referred To FBI For Possible HIPAA Violations

LAKE GENEVA, Wis. -- Nurses accused of photographing a patient and posting the pictures on the Internet have been fired.

The investigation started with an anonymous call from an employee at Mercy Walworth Medical Center in Lake Geneva, with the allegation that a nurse took pictures of a patient with her cell phone and posted them on her Facebook page.

The patient was admitted to the emergency room with an object lodged in his rectum.

Read more!

 

[medic417]

Someone posted about this on here the other day if I recall correctly.
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Here it is. http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=11520

 

[MMiz]

Oops, didn't see that one. Thanks.