So I did something I believed was/is the right thing to do...

[SPKrazy]

someone violated a patient's confidentiality... I was told about this by a friend who worked somewhere else, that one of our employees had given people who worked there information about a patient that caused our patient to not be accepted to live in their nursing facility. For one the information was false, and secondly, even if it wasn't, it was protected information and he had no right to tell anyone about it. So I did what I believed and believe was right. I reported that breach. I didn't anticipate that the guy would end up being fired over it. He had some other issues that were also on his plate that added to that decision. So my friend who told me about the breach was not thinking it was a breach, just a bit of information that the guy had to share that would make the nursing facility's worker's happier. I told my friend that I had reported this and now I am persona non-grata. I received an email from them saying that they were very disappointed in me and so on and so forth.

Okay, I still believe I did what was right. A patient was harmed, albeit mildly by the action. It is illegal to share protected health information with someone when you are not doing it as an employee who is acting under a written release of information and doing so at the request of the patient or their guardian. This person who breached the confidence did so in a way that was wrong. He knew better as he is a nurse, has had training in HIPPA, and as to his motives for doing it I can only guess.

So I now feel a bit like I'm the bad guy here... I am working on that since my job is to be above the fray and be a patient advocate. I have a code of ethics to follow under my state laws; I have federal laws to follow in this regard, state laws to follow, and just a personal code of ethics that doesn't allow for someone giving information that harms a patient in any way.

:grr:

I'm feeling a little down about this anyway.

I sometimes just feel like I should have kept my mouth shut and that isn't right either.

Small thing in the scheme of things, but just thought I'd vent...

thanks

:hi: