Be Careful  − 28 May, 2008

We all probably got a forest of paper when the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) went into effect around 2000. And many if not most of us probably tossed said forest into the dust bin or the recycle bin. But effectively, part of HIPAA is about protecting our privacy in the medical arena. And as hard as many medical personnel try to abide by this act, mistakes happen.

Like today.  I saw a physician's assistant.  She handed me a prescription and a list of my current medications.  I accepted both pieces of paper without looking at them.  Then, at the cashier's desk, she hastily took back the prescription, saying it had the wrong name on it.  She explained that someone had cornered her about some other issue while she was on the computer, and she lost her train of thought.

What she does not realize is that she sent me home with a sheet of paper with the PHI (protected health information) of another patient. It contained identifying information for this patient AND all of HER prescriptions. 

Wow. This is a very big NO NO.  Most people would have thrown the piece of paper away or recycled it.  Because I'm in the health field and have had the issue of health privacy drummed into my head, I BURNED it so that no one else will ever see it.