The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act or HIPAA was established in order regulate group health plans so they do not accept or deny patients based on their genetics, medical history, etc. It does allow group health plans to refuse pre-existing conditions under certain measures. This stinks for the patient. But the main way it affects doctors, nurses, medical students is the privacy act--which basically means: do not discuss patient information in the elevator, the cafeteria or the hallways. SHHH!!! So how do we get around it, you ask??? By practicing our Taboo skills!
Taboo--one of my favorite board games--helps us master our talking about the patient without actually saying the patients name. For example if we need to "run the list"* in the cafeteria, we just start with the first patient as "the guy who suctions all his breakfast out of his mouth." We immediately know its Bill** on the 4th floor. Or if we need to jump ahead to "the guy who can't fit into the CT machine" we all know we're discussing Larry**, and we can proceed in a timely matter, while filling our guts with awful cafeteria food.
I am so glad I've had younger siblings who were into board games, otherwise I may not be good at avoiding HIPAA violations as I am today.
* running the list is probably one of the most important things you do in a day. and trust me, we do it probably 2 or 3 times per day. its when you discuss patient by patient what else you need to do before you can escape from the hospital.
** you thought you caught me! But I'm too clever---this name is made up to protect the real suctioner and large man.
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the H & P of a medical student
1 comment:
The most painful "list running" I have experienced is on OB. They discuss every detail that has no relevance whatsoever. It takes forever and sends me into palpitations.
And yes, I do miss the OR. C-sections do not count as surgery even though OB's think it does. How's life your way?
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