Welcome to Nursing-- and to Health

Information Privacy

HIPAA and Privacy for Nursespresented by

The Privacy OfficeUniversity of Florida

What Do People Expect?

2014 Honesty and Ethical Ratings Summary Very High /

High %Average % Very Low%

Nurses 80 17 3

Medical Doctors 65 29 3

Pharmacists 65 28 3

Lawyers 21 45 12

Car Salespeople 8 46 14

Members of Congress 7 30 24

“Nurses Top Honesty and Ethics List for 11th Year - Lobbyists, car salespeople, members of Congress get the lowest ratings” Gallup 12/3/10

Among Patients’ Expectations

• Privacy – a patient’s right– “The need for health care does not

warrant unwanted intrusion into a patient’s private life.” (ANA Nurses’ Code of Ethics)

• Confidentiality – your actions– Uses and disclosures of patient

information are primarily guided by the patient’s rights, safety, and well-being.

Trust

• Patients must trust their care givers enough to share with them the personal and often sensitive information needed for care.

• If trust is broken, the health of the patient suffers first, and the reputation of the institution may follow.

Information and Technology Pitfalls

• New technologies make it easier to handle information, but harder to keep it secure:– Computers, disks, drives, etc.– Telephones & Cell phones– E-mail & Internet– Fax machines– Photocopiers & Scanners

• Do you know how to securely handle private information associated with each one of these?

Steps to Success

• The University takes the privacy of its patients, clients, workers, and students very seriously – and, in addition, it’s the law!– Policies and procedures have been established

for good reasons – find out what they are and follow them to the letter.

– Think before you act – ask if you’re not sure – get permission first, there’s very little forgiveness afterwards

– Admit your mistakes immediately and be honest!

See Something, Say Something

• If you observe a lapse in patient confidentiality or see what you believe is a

privacy violation, report it.

• As Florence Nightingale stated,“If a nurse declines to do these kinds of things for her patient, "because it is not her business," I should say that nursing was not her calling.”

The Foundation

“I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.”

(Florence Nightingale Pledge 1893)

Call Us

Susan Blair – Chief Privacy Officer

University of Florida

273-1212 http:/privacy.ufl.edu

David Wilkens – Director of Privacy

UF Health/Shands’ Healthcare

627-9033 wilkensd@shands.ufl.edu

Dr. Michael Weaver – Associate Dean for Research & Scholarship, CON Privacy Advocate

273-7491

michael.weaver@ufl.edu