Confidentiality and Treating the Adolescent – February 2003

Confidentiality and Treating the Adolescent by Bonnie Spear, PhD, RD – February 2003

ADA’s PIPPAH Pearl
February, 2003

Effective April, 2003 the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA of 1996) goes into full operation.  The purpose of this act is to insure privacy of patient identifiable information.  All of us have probably been bombarded with training in our work place of what this means to patient care and patient information. But what does this mean to your adolescent patient?  With adolescents, care providers interact with parents, schools, sports teams and other community groups. Don’t forget these HIPAA guidelines carry into the community.  First it is important to know state confidentiality laws in regards to adolescents. The final HIPAA guidelines state that “a state law, or other applicable law, governs in the area of parents and minors.”

Some examples where HIPAA may apply to adolescents:

  1. What if you are working with the school child nutrition program and need to FAX a diet prescription to the child nutrition director. This FAX has identifiable medical information and needs to be sent to a secure location. Make sure it has a confidential cover sheet and that the FAX will be received in an area not accessible to students (e.g., office assistants).

  2. Someone knows you work at the hospital where a friend’s teenager has been admitted and asks you to go check on him or her. Can you do that? No. Not unless the family of the teen has invited you to come for a visit. Can you let others know when this teen has been discharged? No. Not without the permission of the family.

  3. You are concerned about the friend of your teenager daughter who is in the hospital where you work.  You want to put her on the prayer list at church. Can you do this? No. Not without the teens/parents permission. So remember when you are working with coaches, trainers, scout leaders, school counselors, etc., you cannot disclose patient information about your teens without their or their parents permission.