Question about HIPPA?

Question

How can having a semi private hospital room not be in violation of HIPPA?
When your doctor makes rounds, they speak to you regarding your care with another patient and perhaps their family present, when the nurse gives your meds,etc.In a semi private room, you don't have alot of prvacy, hence the name "semi private". I have worked as a nurse in some small hospitals and have even had other patients ask me about "so and so's " status which I cannot legally divulge, but if you are in a room with another patient, how can you not hear everything? Do any other healthcare workers wonder about this ? Does anyone have any legal knowledge about this?

Answer 1

It's a frequently asked question, as a search on "hipaa semi-private rooms" shows. The official explanations are that incidental disclosure is not prohibited as long as reasonable safeguards are taken to minimize the disclosure. As an example, one fact sheet recommends:

"A physician may discuss a patient's condition or treatment regimen in the patient's semi-private room, but he/she should ask the other patient's visitors/family to leave, pull the curtain, and speak quietly."

Answer 2

When you consent to a semi-private room, you are consenting to having that information (those conversations) in front of the other patient.

Since you are consenting, it's not a HIPPA violation.