There is an upside to implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's privacy standards (aside from the obvious intended protections afforded to patients). Consider these unexpected benefits reported by members.
"On a positive note, this has opened the door to some frank discussions about relationships," said Lindsay Phillips, M.D., of Rochester, N.Y. "Even in what appear to be good partnerships between spouses or parent and child, I have relearned that things are not always as they seem. We should not assume it's OK to discuss any health information with a family member."
"The upside is the patient has privacy from nosy neighbors, nosy in-laws, nosy reporters."-- Mary Elizabeth Roth, M.D. |
Patients are asking good questions about the privacy of their health information, said Darlene Lawrence, M.D., of Washington, D.C., and the frequency of the questions is increasing the knowledge base of both patients and staff.
In addition, Lawrence likes the subtle shift of responsibility away from the doctor's office and back to the patient. "It's up to the patient to understand why we can no longer leave their forms in a box outside the office door after hours or give lab results over the phone without proper authorization," said Lawrence. When patients complain about these inconveniences, now she can say, "Sorry, it's the law."
Mary Elizabeth Roth, M.D., of Allentown, Pa., said the privacy rules highlight the intimacy of small communities and the intimacy of the practice community.
Even in small-town America, "no one has the right to know about a patient's visit except for the doctor and people caring for her," said Roth. "The upside is the patient has privacy from nosy neighbors, nosy in-laws, nosy reporters."
Then there is that ultimate compliment -- patient trust -- that makes it all worthwhile. "So far the only effect on our practice is that the patients have a lot of questions about the HIPAA forms and then usually just say, 'Yeah, I trust you, doc,' and sign," said Helen Story, M.D., of Evergreen, Colo.
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