A patient says to a student"My roommate was transferred to the intensive care unit yesterday. Do you know how he is doing?The student replies, can't say. All patient information is confidential. But if I were you, I would check the obituaries (death notices) in the newspaper .This action is a violation of HIPAA policy?
Yes, the student's action is a violation of HIPAA policy. The student should not disclose any patient information, including whether the roommate was transferred to the intensive care unit or not. Additionally, suggesting that the patient check the obituaries is inappropriate and insensitive. The student should have simply explained that they cannot disclose patient information.
Yes, the student's action is a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) policy. HIPAA prohibits the disclosure of any protected health information without the patient's consent. In this case, the student should not have suggested checking the obituaries in the newspaper as it implies the patient's roommate may have passed away, which is a violation of patient confidentiality.
