This document discusses patient privacy and confidentiality. It emphasizes that protecting patient privacy and health information is vital to building trust with patients and is a core value in healthcare. All employees are responsible for maintaining patient confidentiality and reporting any violations. Technical safeguards like passwords, encryption, and limiting access are important for protecting electronic health records and sensitive information. The document also outlines potential violations of privacy laws and regulations, and stresses the importance of continuous monitoring to ensure all staff understand privacy policies.

1. CONFIDENTIALITY
Effiong Okon
MHA690
Week 1, Discussion 2
Instructor: Dr Sherri Lu
07/18/2019

2. PATIENT PRIVACY
• Patient Privacy and Security
• Vital to ensure the trust of our patients
• Value and respect
• Access of patient for medical necessity
• Humanitarian principle, an obligation in healthcare (Enyi et al, 2017)
• All employees are responsible for patient confidentiality and privacy.
• Report violations when observed.
• Avoid use of personal devices in patient areas.
• Reasonable and appropriate precautions should be exercised when discussing patient
care, transmitting patient health information.

3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• HIPAA laws and regulation
• Access to electronic health records
• Password protected
• Lock computers after use
• Private computers need to be secure
• Avoid use of private computers for work-related information
• Portable Media and Computers
• Implement safeguards to protect sensitive information
• Sensitive information in hard drives, portable computers etc. must be encrypted
• Emails, messaging etc. should not contain personal health Information

4. RESTRICTED AREAS
• Access to restricted areas
• Authorized users
• Password or Key lock access
• Keep information out of view of unauthorized users
• Locate Printers, Fax machines in Secure and Supervised areas
• Monitor and restrict visitor access to unauthorized area
• Lock file cabinets and storage areas containing PHI

5. VIOLATIONS
• Hospital Liabilities
• Litigation
• Loss of Public trust
• Civil Penalties
• Financial penalties
• Employee penalties
• Termination, loss of license etc.
• Jail time

6. HIPAA VIOLATIONS

7. HIPAA VIOLATIONS

8. MONITOR OUTCOMES
• Continuous monitoring
• Ensures all employees understand the importance or privacy
• For the patients
• For the organization
• Dedicated Compliance Officer
• Routine employee evaluations – quarterly, annually

9. REFERENCES
• Eyni, E., Hasani, S. A., Fereidouni, P., & Seyed Jalil Seyed Andi. (2017). Effect of
nursing staff training on respecting the privacy of patients in the emergency
department. Journal of Nursing & Midwifery Sciences, 4(2), 11–18. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=124758442&site=eds-
live&scope=site
• US Department of Health and Human Services (2019, April). Compliance and
Enforcement. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-
professionals/compliance-enforcement/data/enforcement-results-by-
year/index.html.