Rights in the Doc Office

hi A., this person knows "dang" good and well this is a breach in confidentiality. (that's why these people get education to include ethics.) i would definitely take action. what if she said something important?! what if it were your children's privacy in question? don't wait until something very personal and irreversible happens... please

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According to the Federal HIPAA regulations this is a huge problem. Every facility or doctor's office that I have worked at have always had their employees sign confidentiality forms. This type of behavior may not only be occuring with you, but could be many other people. You need to talk to the doctor immediately. He/she needs to know what their staff member is doing because ultimately the doctor's license and business are on the line. These types of judgement, or lack thereof, can cost a physician or practice hundreds of thousands of dollars. If the doctor doesn't seem concerned then I would talk to an attorney. Here is a link that will tell you more about HIPAA privacy laws. http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/
Hope this helps!

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sounds to me like she violated the HIPPA regulations. bring it up with the office administrator at the doctors office.

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I would definately contact the doctors office. You have patient rights. Ask for the office manager. If she has access to your families file, no telling what she is telling others on the outside that she likes to belly ache to.

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I believe the "ex" is in violation of the HIPAA law. Google, (or whatever)the HIPAA law and then procede to file a complaint, bets are if she is sharing your information she is sharing other as well. Good Luck

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You are not over reacting and it's SERIOUS. They can be fired and worse, you can sue for privacy violations.

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ok i'm probably repeating everyone in here, but A. it's HIGHLY illegal to share ANY medical information (see HIPAA laws) and if anything she's said has ANYthing to do with that, she would probably lose her job. B. even if she hasn't broken any laws (and i have a feeling a good lawyer would find one she had) it is HIGHLY immoral, unprofessional, and in bad character to discuss patients in this way - regardless of personal history. i would definitely call and talk to her supervisor. point out how long you've been patients of theirs. i would ask at the very least that she not be involved in any of your future visits - and make sure the supervisor knows why. as an employer i'd think (i'd HOPE!) they'd want to know how their employees are treating their patients. there's not a thing right about that. i do not think you're overreacting (although i do tend to, myself so i'm probably not the best judge!) but i guarantee you that any dr's office worth it's salt should be on top of this and willing to help you.

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A., you are not over reacting one bit. You and your kids and boyfriend has the right to privacy on all situations, she is in no place of discussing any information to any one of a kind, that is all placed in a doc. only to serve you better and this is called HIPAA all and any one that works or serves in any sort of health related job is intitled to go through training in this and has to sign a form stating they will keep all information on any individual under confidential standards. You need to call the doctors office talk to personal/human resources and explain the situation. I have been through the training, and even signed forms after reading them going to see a new doctor for any reason. This is a big thing now, please dont ignore she may be an ex to your boyfriend but you have the right to your privacy and who to say she isn't doing the same to some one else to a higher information. Good luck and stay posted on what you find out and get done...
MW

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Definite violation of HIPPA. Tell the office administrator as well as your doctor. If it doesn't get addressed, find a new doctor.

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If anything she has said about you and your girls was something "said" in the dr's office...she is WAY OUT OF LINE. Has she heard of HIPPA? I work in a family practice clinic. Anything said in the office....stays in the office. Maybe you should speak to the doctor about that. Or, even consider changing dr's. Good Luck.

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I have to agree with what Carrie told you. There is a huge difference between gossip and confidential medical information from your medical files. HIPPA laws do not protect anyone from the offenses of common gossip.

The fact that your friend also works in the office may mean that she would also have access to the medical files. In this case, no matter what has been discussed, no HIPPA laws have been broken.

Also it sounds like this is your daughter's doctor. If medical information from your daughter's file has been divulged to someone who would otherwise have no access to her files, then there is an issue you are in a position to pursue. But, if you or your boyfriend are not patients in this office, there really are no grounds for legal action that I can see.

All that said, it all sounds vindictive and unprofessional. If I were in this position, I would want to speak directly with the doctor and explain that it is impossible to expect your boyfriend's ex to treat your family professionally. You have the right to request that the ex not be allowed to treat any members of your family and that she not be allowed access to your family's files. If this is not possible for the doctor to arrange, then you can certainly ask for a referral to another doctor in another facility. The patient always has the right to refuse being treated by any particular medical personel. I was once spoken to very rudely by a nurse when I was in hospital after my C-section. I called in the floor nurse and told her to make sure the rude nurse not be allowed back in my room. This is a patient's right.

We all have the right to protect ourselves and our dignity. You are most likely to get the doctor's willingness to help if you are not angry when you speak to him/her. If you simply tell the doc that the personal ties you have with his employee are not friendly, the doc should know that this is reason enough to make some changes. I wouldn't mention the gossip unless it is really necessary. You may end up getting your friend in trouble at work. It was your friend that repeated things that were said inside the office to you. The doc may be more upset about your friend taking the gossip back to you than he/she would be about the ex gossiping to a fellow employee.

Hope this helps.

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Hi A.,

I have worked in several medical facilities. There are laws about your privacy. But here is the glitch... is the ex-wife giving your friend medical info from your file? or is she giving info your boyfriend gave her? or is it just gossip??

She can say anything as long as she is not divulging info from your medical file or info she received from another employee.

If she did discuss your medical info then she and the doctors office could be sued. If you are concerned that this is what happened then talk to the office manager or an attorney.

Good Luck Carrie

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A....If the ex disclosed medical information to anyone...including co-workers that would be in violation of HIPPA and you have grounds to file a complaint with her employer...However...office gossip continues to be problem is all industries and companies...My advice...switch to a new provider where the ex doesn't work at...There are great medical providers in the area...
Best of Luck.
Mama Mav

You ABSOLUTELY have rights, and she should be fired from her job. I would call your doctor and report her. Or make and appointment, and bring the friend with you to confirm your story. I would definitely not let this go.

A.,

I am an RN. Privacy rights are HUGE right now. As long as the ex-girlfriend is not revealing any health issues regarding your children, she is probably "safe." With that said, though, she is gossiping in the workplace which really is not professional. My husband is a doctor, and I do not think he would appreciate what this girl is doing. If you have been going to this practice for a long time and feel comfortable, give the office a call and request to speak to the office manager or leave a message on her voice mail to call you back. The OM is the one who usually does the hiring/firing and answers directly to the doc. I assure you, it will get back to the doc. HIPPA laws (privacy laws) are a really big deal. The office manager needs to know about this.

Good luck!

I use to work in a doctor's office and I can tell you that talking about patient's is not allowed. The patient privacy act was intented to protect the patient's medical condition, and private information. Any gossip is the perception of the one's who are speaking. Some people just like to talk; once they get started it is easy to forget their position in the office setting and a slip of medical information could happen. Therefore, I would think you have the right to speak up to the office manager and/or doctor. Akward situation for you and I wish you all the best of luck. Love and Hugs, L.

I would think that the HIPPA rules would be enforced in this situation. I work in a convent and when someone asked how someone else was I replied to the question that they had been in the hospital. I was informed that I was in the wrong and should not of answered with any personal info. I would question the office manager or doctor the rules that they abide by concerning HIPPA.

There is a patient privacy act it is the law no matter what file a complaint she may lose her job

You do have rights. She should not be discussing anything about you to anyone. Especially since they have been cracking down with HIPPA. She is violating your privacy, who knows what other personal things she is telling about you or your children.

It sounds like a violation of HIPPA laws. If she discussed anything about you or your daughter's health issues, why you guys were there, anything, then it is definately a HIPPA violation. If she somehow determined from your personal information and your friends personal information that the two of you know each other and proceeded to talk about you because of that I am almost positive that it is a HIPPA violation, and I am 100% positive that it is totally inappropriate.
The gist of this area of HIPPA: You have the right to have your personal information be private and protected. It is illegal to discuss your personal info. with anyone who is not directly involved with your patient care.
If I were you I would let your doctor know about the conflict of interest. I would ask him to please not have her be your nurse and ask that your personal information be kept private. I know you probably don't want to cause problems, so just let him know that you don't want to negatively affect her in any way, you just want to ensure that your privacy will be protected. Next, I would say muster all you've got and confront the ex directly. Tell her that your friend said she was talking about you with her and that you feel it is inappropriate. Let her know that you feel the information shared in that type of setting should remain professional and that there is no reason for her to even acknowledge to anyone else that the two of you know each other... it is irrelevant to her job and therefore unneccesary.
I am sure your doctor will take some extra precautions for you and hopefully the ex was just trying to make harmless conversation and will understand that you don't want to be the topic... ever. Good Luck.

YES, you have full confidential rights, CONTACT an attorney now. This is full breach, BUT, you must have proof. Only an attorney can determine if you have the necessary proof.

Dear Ann
As a registered nurse, I know you definitely do have the right to privacy when visiting your child's doctor. If this woman is a registered nurse, she can be reported to the Missouri Nursing licensure office and she will be disciplined. If she is not licensed, she should still be held accountable for the confidentiality of the patients by the doctor. I would immediately notify the doctor. Ask to speak to him/her directly and don't take no for an answer. If the person taking your call wants to know why you need to speak to him/her tell them it is a conficential matter that you wish to discuss with the doctor only. If necessary go to the office and tell him/her it is a confidential matter that you need to discuss with him/her alone. If the doctor refuses to discipline or fire this individual for her behavior and it continues, report the doctor to the AMA and get another doctor! You do not have to accept this kind of behavior.
Good luck.
J. B

The doctor's office could be fined big time. She is in direct violation of your rights to privacy under the HIPAA laws. I would definitely contact a legal representative before I would call the doctor's office to make sure you have your ducks in a row...

A.,
You are not overreacting. The ex-wife may have committed a HIPPA violation (Health Information Portability and Protection Act) if she has discussed you or your children's medical information with someone not directly involved with your medical care. This is a serious offense. If she hasn't discussed medical information, then she is just gossiping. Either way, you might want to notify the office manager at your physician's office.

I just saw that you have 50+ ladies telling you that HIPAA is on your side. I guess you don't need another reminder. God Speed and Good luck with either her leaving the office and/or you choosing a new Doctor.
Blessing, M. N.

Your boyfriend's ex-wife should absolutley not have been talking about a you to someone else. You have rights as a patient to have your personal information kept confidential. I don't know if doctor's offices have confidentiality disclosure forms but hospitals definetley do. She was in violation of HIPPA laws for talking about you. You should go to the office manager or the doctor about this.

absolutily not you have patient right and that nuses knows it.You can sue that office or report it to the
dr that you do not apreate gossip in the office

NO WAY JOSE! Get her butt fired! That is a vilation of privacy! Not that I'm the letigious type, but you could sue her also.

GET HER FIRED!!!! She has NO BUSINESS telling your private information to ANYONE else. Tell the Doctor first, then file charges on her with the Nursing Board. It's a breech of her ethical conduct to be talking about you or anyone else!!!!!

I would contact this Doctor personally right away. You most certainly have rights and she is WAY out of line morally, ethically and maybe legally if she discussed any medical info or even the fact that you are a patient in that office. It may be hard to get past the "front desk" to talk to the Doctor, but make sure they know it is a personally matter that you can only speak to him about. If you talk to the office manager etc. it may get swept under the rug.

Good luck!
H. S

A little about me:

I've worked in the health care field for many years and confidentiality is STRESSED and re-stressed :) I can't even discuss one of my patients (P.T.) with a nurse that is not that patients nurse.

You do have a right to respond, and she should not be talking about you or her ex at work. This is a big issue right now. I am a stay at home mother of 3, that use to do social work in a medical setting.

If she is sharing information about your family to the public I would bring it to my doctor's attention b/c she should not be allowed to break confidentiality. I know a girl that did this in my home town and she was fined pretty heavily and lost her job b/c the patient brought a lawsuit against the hospital for leaking confidential information. I would definitely bring it to my doctor's attention that this is happening.

Hi A., I am in the medical field and this type of of attitude in NOT ALLOWED! This would fall under the HIPPA violation code. Your privacy has been compermised now and so has your daughters. Yes i would speak with either the doctor or the office manager regarding this. Your private life is non of her business much less to be discussed at work. I'm not allowed to even mention that i saw a patient here in my office to anyone rather it's a friend or family member under any reason. Sorry you had to deal with that, she is totally unprofessional and needs to be brought up on this. Good luck!!

This is totally unprofessional. Talk to the business manager and you can take legal action. Don't mince words about it. If she's doing it with your info, she may be doing it to other people too. It doesn't matter of what she is repeating is "big" or "little" she's got no business talking about you to anyone at work.

Yes mam you have rights! You need to contact that doctor personally & have her tired behind fired OR removed from that area to another floor or something. This might include your friend being called in on this matter but I would certainly bring it to the attention on the doctor because thats a breech in patient/doctor confidentiality. IF I understand you correctly she's breaking the law IF she discusses you/your children's medical records/problems. She can be brought up on harassment charges but again you may have to involve your frriend that told you. I know about the ex's from hell...I wish you the very best of luck & God Bless!

I think if you told her boss, she would be fired immediately. There are strict confidentiality rules in doctors offices and I would think that goes for office workers too. If she is not a nurse then she is also breaking rules by taking your daughter's temp or anything else.

heck yea, it does not go against patient confidentiality since you were not a patient at the clinic, but she had no right to talk about you, how dumb could she be. i would call her boss and make a complaint, bc if she is telling people you know your business than she is telling others as well and not just the bad stuff but the private stuff. she wont loose the job more than likely but at least she will be monitored for professionalism.

Anyone in the medical field has to sign a "Confidentiality" contract. It sounds to me that she has breached (spell?) the contract. The doctor's office should be notified of this. You don't HAVE to be the one who notifies the doctor's office. Your friend should be concerned that if she hears confidential information from this individual, she will most likely reveal information on your friend as well. The confidential information does not have to be medical either. I hope your friend wants to do this for you. If not, than you should tell them. The doctor's office doesn't want people who can't be trusted. Good Luck.

I worked at a doctor's office and that is against HIPPA. You need to contact your doctor's office and talk with the office manager and let her know what happened. It can cause the office fines of $25,000 if they are found to have violations of HIPPA.

Hi A. R,

I work for a hospital and you do have rights when it comes to things like this. First of all I would file a complaint with the physician. You want to do it while its fresh so that you don't build up a lot of anger. Also remember the new HIPPA act that protects your privacy. If she was having a casual conversation about a friend who was not a patient there it would be a different story, but because you have been a long time patient at the office, I think the Dr would want your business more than having to pay a nurse or assistant who cackles

You should immediately contact the HIPAA Privacy Officer for this practice. In most cases, this is the practice / office manager. The practice has the responsibility to protect the your privacy and that of your family. This includes simply disclosing that you are PATIENTS there as well as protecting information regarding reasons for visits, diagnoses, lab results, etc. Basically ALL information maintained in your medical record and/or disclosed by you during the course of medical examination is considered PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION (PHI) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (Also known as "HIPAA"). You ARE NOT over-reacting - you have the right to confidentiality. If you do not feel comfortable with the response you receive from the practice manager, you should speak with the physician directly. Do not let this pass without reporting this employee, regardless of the fact that she is an "ex-wife" she has violated your right to privacy and her manager needs to be aware of this.

The ex-wife does NOT have rights to tell ANYONE about who is or is not a patient in the office where she works. I would report her to her superiors IMMEDIATELY. You should ask the dr's office about their HIPPA policy. (HIPPA--Health Information Portability ________ Act, I believe.)

I work in a mental health clinic and if a client's family member calls the office we are NOT allowed to tell the family that the client is @ the facility, even if the family was the one who brought the client into the facility. To give ANYONE information about ANYTHING, the client needs to sign a release form.

Seriously, this is a breach of ethics, and you need to report this ex-wife A.S.A.P.

I am 36, married for 6 months, and step-mother to 2 kids. Have worked in mental health field for 7 yr.

With the HIPAA confidentiality act there is definitely a boundary violation. But, here is where it gets tricky, if she isnt talking about how you or your daughter are patient(s) there, or any medical information, I dont believe you can take any legal action. I work in the mental health field where we have to be very careful about confidentiality. If its just gossip plain and simple and doesnt have anything to do with medical information or releasing that you and/or your daughter are patient(s) there then she is safe. Granted, she shouldnt be doing that at work, its unprofessional. Im sure you could talk with her supervisor and get something worked out. Legally, if she isnt violating HIPAA then there isnt much you can do. Hope this helps!

Not tricky at all, ILLEGAL!!! For this woman to discuss even the fact that your children are patients with another patient is a violation of HIPPA. This is a violation of your right to privacy, the office could face fines if this woman is doing this. She deserves to be fired, you should contact the Dr. directly or hire an attorney.

Alright, here goes. If she is telling people what is in your medical records she is definitely violoating a big no-no. I have and still occassionally work in the medical field. You need to report this to your doctors office. If she is just gossiping I would still report it because that's just tacky of her and is completely unnecessary. However, violating patient confidentiality can have serious repercussions, so it is best to nip it in the bud now.

Of course this is not allowed, and should not be allowed. Call the office and ask to speak to the office manager, and let them know.

You absolutely DO have rights when it comes to you and your daughters' privacy!!! She has committed a HIPAA violation, which is grounds for immediate termination! I am a health care professional, and you are not allowed to discuss anything about a patient to anyone other than who is directly involved in their care! If I were you, I would call the office and speak to the office manager. And if she doesn't get fired (which she should!) then you can at least request that she not have any thing to do with your family's care when you visit the office! Don't be afraid to speak up about this, because it IS your right as a patient for that office to protect your privacy!

O, most definitely you have rights with this situation. You can probably go even as far as asking to not have her as the attending nurse for when you and your daughter are both there. For one, your daughter doesn't need to know any details about past/present relationhips about her father and his ex/current wife/girlfriend. She, the ex, especially doesn't need to be talking about you to anyone outside of work, even in work, unless it's nurse/doctor/patient related. I work in a hospital. There are privacy acts called HIPAA, Health Information Portablilty and Accountability Act, or in other words Privacy Security Transactions. You are not over-reacting. Even talk to you boyfriend about it. Maybe he can do something. I hope things work out for you!

A.

I skimmed very few responses, but agree with what I have seen. HIRE AN ATTORNEY IMMEDIATELY! Perhaps she will serve as an example that the HIPPA laws ARE NOT A JOKE!! What else is this vindictive you-know-what saying and to whom? Who else might be doing this in the same office if she is 'getting away with it' for now? She had NO right to say ANYTHING to ANYONE no matter what her motives are or how well she knows the friend of yours. PERIOD. Seek legal council ASAP.

If she shared any medical information at all, it is a violation of HIPAA, and she and the doctor's office are legally liable. If your medical information was shared, you can make a complaint to the doctor, and he should act on it immediately. If no medical information was shared, but only stuff she knows apart from working at the doctor's office, it's not as clear. You can still complain to the doctor and any administrative higher-ups. HIPAA violations in any healthcare environment are usually grounds for dismissal. Regardless of what happens, why not change doctors to someone where you won't be exposed to her working there? Good luck!
T.

I agree that this is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! I would, however, check into it further before getting legally involved (if it came to that) since she is not repeating info that she acquired in the doctor's office. Don't misunderstand...she should be fired! And I don't know that this would be different than the patient privacy laws. I just wonder if it is a technical issue of whether it is legally "patient information" or not.

You need to immediatly talk to the Doctor, This is not right. Thereis patient Dr. Confidence.
and NO talk of any patient to another person is allowed. Anything said in the office stay in the office. REPORT THIS PERSON NOW> you have legal rights to sue her over this.

Your boyfriend's ex is in violation of the HIPPA privacy act if she is relaying any information about you and your child that she is privy to in the office. You should have received a copy of this act at sometime from the office notifying you of your rights. If you do not have that information anymore, you should contact the office manager and report the situation. You should also report this formally. You should be able to find the address on line for HIPPAA. I work in a hospital, and patients' privacy is stressed constantly. good luck.

You have every right in the world to be upset. What she did was completely unprofessional. I would lodge a complaint with the office manager of that office. Or better yet the next time you are in there, tell the doctor how inapropriate one of his nurses was. It would be a lot more helpful, if your friend would back your story. I realize it is a doctors office, but you are a PAYING client there, even if it is your insurance that pays, and you and your family deserve the upmost respect!!!

um no, that's a huge privacy violation and she will lose her job for that. report her. love, the peds nurse.

With the paper we have to sign about our privacy, there is a place that you write down the people you want to be able to get information from the doctor's office about you. If your friend's name was not on that peper, she is not to know you were in the office. Obviously your friend knows you were there, but maybe not why or when. It is totally against the law for anyone who works in the office to talk to anyone else about you coming in with your child unless you have given them permission to talk to that person. Report it! Jan in MO

You should report her. She is violating the Hippa privacy act. She is not allowed to talk about patients to anyone except the Dr unless she has permission from you. I would call and ask to speak to the Dr or head nurse or office manager (Whomever is her boss)directly.

According to the HIPPA laws that passed several years ago, she is really not even supposed to mention that you are a patient there, much less discuss you with anyone, regardless of whether they work together or not. You have every right to go to her supervisor and complain of breech of confidentiality (which she would have had to sign before starting there). For the first offense, she may very well just be given a warning but, at least here in KS, that is cause for losing a job.
Secondly, was the personal information you mentioned stuff that you had discussed with her during the initial conversation or did she have to find it out somewhere (looking in the computer for stuff on you)?

It's a clear violation of the HIPPA laws. You could actually sue for giving out your personal information and she should be fired.

You do have rights to medical privacy through HIPPA. The website is http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa. You should bring her actions to the attention of the office manager. The ex wife is breaking the law.