This document discusses patient confidentiality and privacy in healthcare. It notes that advances in technology like EMRs, telehealth, and the internet have opened opportunities for accidental breaches of private health information. To build trust, healthcare providers must protect patient confidentiality and privacy. Standards like HIPAA are in place to safeguard private medical records and information from unauthorized disclosure. The document also provides examples of policies around maintaining confidentiality in different healthcare settings.

1. Alice Felton
MHA 690
Health Care Capstone
Dr. Sherry Grover
January 31, 2013

2. Patient Confidentiality
& Privacy
 Because of all the new advances in technology
which includes:
 EMR’s or Electronic Medical Records, Tele-health and the
Internet, this has all helped to open the doors to
unintentional or potential breaches in our patients
confidential/private information about their health.
 In order for health care providers to build a trusting
relationship with their patients they are serving then
protection of their confidentiality and privacy becomes
essential to achieving this goal.
 .

3. Patient Confidentiality
& Privacy, contd
In order to achieve patient care quality it will usually
require direct communication of pertinent
information between health systems and/or health
care professionals.
Health care professionals and nursing staff who will be
working regularly with their patients along with their
medical records that should be kept Confidential
should be able to comply with the development of any
standards, laws and policies that are in place to protect
their patient’s privacy (HIPAA) and the Confidentiality
of their information/health records.

4. Confidentiality is a right given to a person to have personal medical
information that is identifiable to be kept private. Patient
confidentiality is defined as medical and personal information when
given to a healthcare provider will not be disclosed without their
permission to others unless they have given permission for a release.

5. A breach in patient confidentiality occurs when disclosure is
given to a third party without consent of the patient or with a
court order, of information that is private that a healthcare
provider has learned through provider-patient relationship.
This disclosure can be either oral, written, faxed, telephoned or
electronically (ex. Email).

6. What is HIPAA’s role in Patient
Confidentiality
HIPAA’s role in patient confidentiality because it is a passage of
federal regulations because it was needed to ensure protection and
privacy of data and personal information in an environment of
electronic medical records (emr’s) and third party insurance payers
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996
requires all organizations and professionals to guard the privacy of
their customers and patients

7. Policies & Procedures
of Confidentiality (privacy) locations
 Employment handbooks  Places that have payment
processing
 Physician’s offices
 Schools
 Lawyer offices

8. •Always respect your patient’s right to privacy
•Disclosure and using of your patient’s health information
should be limited.
•Patient should have the right to access their own
health information
•Patient should receive written, information that is easy to
understand when notified of how their health records

9. Patient Confidentiality

10. References
 AMA.org. (2013) Nursing World (Privacy & Confidentiality. Retrieved
from website
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-
Advocacy/Positions-and-
Resolutions/ANAPositionStatements/Position-Statements-
Alphabetically/PrivacyandConfidentiality.html?css=print.
 Surgeryencyclopedia.com (2013). Patient Confidentiality. Retrieved
from website http://www.surgeryencyclopedia.com/Pa-St/Patient-
Confidentiality.htm.
 AMA-assn.org., (2013). Patient Confidentiality. Retrieved from website
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/legal-
topics/patient-physician-relationship-topics/patient-
confidentiality.page.