Joey Day : First Edition: HIPAA Article in the Trib

February 15, 2003

HIPAA Article in the Trib

I found this article in the Trib today. We will probably see more articles like this as April approaches. It's not exactly what I would write about HIPAA and what's coming, but I guess it will give you a little insight to what I'm working on with my new job (and what many other hospitals and clinics have to look forward to :)).

Strict Patient Privacy Rules to Take Effect

I will be attending my first board meeting at the clinic on Wednesday. I don't really know what to think—mostly because I've never had to stand in front of a group of doctors and tell them what to do. Ahh! :o

I'll keep you posted.

Posted by Janene at February 15, 2003 01:57 AM

Comments

If anyone thinks this article speaks somewhat negatively about HIPAA, that's because they are not looking at it from the patient's point of view. Being a newspaper, I don't blame them for taking their own position. The general news media is very concerned with factual information. It would not be enough to have a headline on the front page that simply reads, "[Insert Name] in Hospital". They want headlines like "[Insert Name] has Second Heart Attack". Of course HIPAA is going to rub them the wrong way.

Let's think about this from a patient's perspective. Would you want others—including total strangers—to be able to call up your doctor and ask why you are in the hospital and what room you are in? Of course not. HIPAA will greatly alter the way doctors, hospitals and clinics do business, but it will ultimately improve patients' feeling of security. I want to know that when I go to the hospital I'm being taken care of, and HIPAA will help me to know that for sure.

Posted by: Joey at February 15, 2003 02:42 AM