The document discusses the importance of regular confidentiality training for healthcare employees. It notes that UCLA Hospital experienced confidentiality issues when employees improperly accessed patient records. To address this, the document recommends that healthcare managers implement initial and annual confidentiality training, have employees sign consent forms, clearly communicate consequences for violations, and ensure training covers regulations like HIPAA. Continuing confidentiality training can help protect patient privacy and limit organizational liability.

2.  Training on confidentiality is crucial in
health care. As the article stated, UCLA
Hospital experienced many
confidentiality issues with employees
breaking into patient records. This is
unacceptable, and employees must
have specific training to ensure the
employees understand and practice
ethical standards when it comes to
patient records and their privacy.

3.  Health care managers need to focus on
employee training in order to stay
proactive in the organization in hopes
that the staff will not breach any
confidentiality and privacy of patients.

4.  Health care managers should put into
force employee training. This should be
an initial hire procedure as well as a bi-
annual or annual training that should
occur.
 There are many rules and regulations
that need to be followed and they may
change over time, so it is important to
revisit them on a regular basis.

5.  It is also important for health care
managers to have employees sign
consent forms stating they understand
the rules and regulations set forth in the
training regarding confidentiality and
privacy of patients.

6.  It may be a good idea for managers to
create real-life “hypothetical” scenarios
for the employees by putting them in a
position where their confidentiality and
privacy is violated.
 Many times, it takes it happening to you
to better understand the ramifications.

7.  It must be made clear to employees the
consequences to breaking
confidentiality. This will be made clear
when they sign their consent after the
training; however, it will be vital for them
to hear the consequences because
sometimes the fear of the consequences
will only help in following the rules.

8.  One major regulation that needs to be
discussed is the HIPPA rule.
 HIPPA is a Federal law which protects a
person’s medical information. It protects
against people seeing or being able to
request a patients information.

9.  Patients must consent to who is allowed
to get information and NO other people
are allowed.
 HIPPA regulations needs to be made
clear to employees in training. They must
protect the patients and ensure they are
only releasing records to people who are
allowed. This includes them going into a
patient’s record without permission.

10.  Employees need to be aware of the
ethically standards of confidentiality.
 Lawsuits can arise from breach of
confidentiality and can lead to costly
matters for the organization.
 It is up to the employees to understand
and practice ethical behavior in the
work place.

11.  Health care managers need to create
and follow a mission within the
organization to protect the patients
privacy.
 Employees need to look out for any
internal issues or unethical practice of
privacy and take action when they see
the behavior occurring.

12.  Patients put their trust in their health care
organizations.
 It is important to protect patients and to
remember YOU are a patient being
protected, too.
 “Treat others how you wish to be
treated.”

13.  As a health care manager, it is important
to monitor and keep track of employees
and when and why they are pulling
patient records.
 Protect the system and ensure it is only
being used for proper protocol.

14.  Patient confidentiality is an ethical and
legal standard that must be followed.
 Continuing employee training annually
can help ensure that they are protected
patients and keeping up to date with
new rules and regulations.

15.  Fox News. (2008). Report: Over 120
UCLA hospital staff saw celebrity health
records. Retrieved
from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2
933,398784,00.html
 Health information confidentiality. (2012).
The American College of Healthcare
Executives. Retrieved from
http://www.ache.org/policy/hiconf.cfm