1
Protected Health Information: Privacy, Security and Confidentiality Best Practices
Protected health information (PHI) represents a patient’s past and present medical
history, including one’s physical address, email and phone number, medical records, or any
other identifying information (Sisto & Ratner, 2009 ). Occasionally, it is difficult for a health
practitioner or caregiver to ascertain the proper and improper scenarios that merit the
disclosure of patient information without their permission. Notably, a patient’s information
should be disclosed only with his or her consent.
Sharing PHI information with entities involved with billing, treatment, and health care
operations does not raise a problem under the HIPAA rubric, (DonnersbergrJr, 2007).
Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) imposes stringent
measures to safeguard patients’ private health information. HIPAA protects data collected in
all forms, either audio, manual or electronic data; the major goal is to minimize any possible
security breaches and assure a patient’s safety. However, there are circumstances under
HIPAA, where health practitioners are allowed to act on the urgency of a situation without
regard for a patient’s permission; in this case, when a patient has severe injuries, contagious
disease, or if he or she is being abused, a privacy breach is warranted, (PF & MJ, 2020).
Notably, HIPAA is imposes penalties for health information privacy breaches. In an article
by the University of Illinois at Chicago (n.d.), there were over 1000 private health
information breaches when the article was being published. This occurrence is a result of a
majority of health care providers being negligent and not implementing or upholding the
rules set out by HIPAA to protect patients’ private medical information and records. The
comprehension of HIPAA laws is vital for every health worker, caregiver or medical
institution; in return, both private health information breaches and penalties imposed on
caregivers are minimized.
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Social Media Risks to Patient Information
In the recent past, social media has become an imperative factor in the way people
lead their daily lives. The number of health practitioners using social media has risen
considerable; in this regard, it is crucial for them to follow social media regulations as
stipulated by HIPAA. If a social media account seeks to connect with one’s patients, it is
important to ensure that the patients do not openly share their private medical information. A
health practitioner should strike a balance when interacting with people on social media
platforms, by delineating a boundary between their professional and personal lives; in regards
to upholding professional ethics and principles, it is a nurse’s mandate to alert a patient if any
breaches occurs, (ANA: American Nurses Association for Ethics and Human Rights, 2015).
A patient has the right to access his or her private health data, it is also essential for a
caregiver to inform a patient about the collected data, the way it will be used, stored, and the
persons authorized to access it in the patient’s absence and the situations where a breach
might be warranted.
When Jussie Smollet, an actor, was injured in a hate crime attack, at least 50 nurses
were dismissed due to inappropriate handling of the patient’s health records. It is under such
scenarios that understanding HIPAA laws on Protected Health Information plays a crucial
role. Violation of HIPAA regulations by a nurse has severe repercussions on his or her career.
Precisely, when a nurse is found guilty of breaching PHI and HIPAA regulations, his or her
license can be revoked, hefty penalties can be imposed, or one can serve a jail term of not
more than 10 years especially if the violation was intentional (Wofford, 2019). Despite the
risks associated with the use of social media by nurses and caregivers, there are ways through
which health care professional can avoid violating the regulations; for instance, they can
practice discretion while handling a patient’s information among people not directly linked to
Protected Health Information: Privacy, Security and Confidentiality Best Practices
Protected health information (PHI) represents a patient’s past and present medical
history, including one’s physical address, email and phone number, medical records, or any
other identifying information (Sisto & Ratner, 2009 ). Occasionally, it is difficult for a health
practitioner or caregiver to ascertain the proper and improper scenarios that merit the
disclosure of patient information without their permission. Notably, a patient’s information
should be disclosed only with his or her consent.
Sharing PHI information with entities involved with billing, treatment, and health care
operations does not raise a problem under the HIPAA rubric, (DonnersbergrJr, 2007).
Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) imposes stringent
measures to safeguard patients’ private health information. HIPAA protects data collected in
all forms, either audio, manual or electronic data; the major goal is to minimize any possible
security breaches and assure a patient’s safety. However, there are circumstances under
HIPAA, where health practitioners are allowed to act on the urgency of a situation without
regard for a patient’s permission; in this case, when a patient has severe injuries, contagious
disease, or if he or she is being abused, a privacy breach is warranted, (PF & MJ, 2020).
Notably, HIPAA is imposes penalties for health information privacy breaches. In an article
by the University of Illinois at Chicago (n.d.), there were over 1000 private health
information breaches when the article was being published. This occurrence is a result of a
majority of health care providers being negligent and not implementing or upholding the
rules set out by HIPAA to protect patients’ private medical information and records. The
comprehension of HIPAA laws is vital for every health worker, caregiver or medical
institution; in return, both private health information breaches and penalties imposed on
caregivers are minimized.
, 2
Social Media Risks to Patient Information
In the recent past, social media has become an imperative factor in the way people
lead their daily lives. The number of health practitioners using social media has risen
considerable; in this regard, it is crucial for them to follow social media regulations as
stipulated by HIPAA. If a social media account seeks to connect with one’s patients, it is
important to ensure that the patients do not openly share their private medical information. A
health practitioner should strike a balance when interacting with people on social media
platforms, by delineating a boundary between their professional and personal lives; in regards
to upholding professional ethics and principles, it is a nurse’s mandate to alert a patient if any
breaches occurs, (ANA: American Nurses Association for Ethics and Human Rights, 2015).
A patient has the right to access his or her private health data, it is also essential for a
caregiver to inform a patient about the collected data, the way it will be used, stored, and the
persons authorized to access it in the patient’s absence and the situations where a breach
might be warranted.
When Jussie Smollet, an actor, was injured in a hate crime attack, at least 50 nurses
were dismissed due to inappropriate handling of the patient’s health records. It is under such
scenarios that understanding HIPAA laws on Protected Health Information plays a crucial
role. Violation of HIPAA regulations by a nurse has severe repercussions on his or her career.
Precisely, when a nurse is found guilty of breaching PHI and HIPAA regulations, his or her
license can be revoked, hefty penalties can be imposed, or one can serve a jail term of not
more than 10 years especially if the violation was intentional (Wofford, 2019). Despite the
risks associated with the use of social media by nurses and caregivers, there are ways through
which health care professional can avoid violating the regulations; for instance, they can
practice discretion while handling a patient’s information among people not directly linked to
