You discover a colleague accessing confidential client files. How will you address this breach of trust?

In healthcare, there is a hard line: HIPPA dictates, do you need this information to provide care? Period. If not, it is a violation of trust and therefore actionable according to healthcare administration up to termination on the first offense. As a nurse for 30 years, I take the trust that my patient give me seriously and sacred.

Practice doing crucial conversations when guarding patients information. Consideration on the intent and purpose in accessing confidential information. The purpose is to clarify and if in doubt confer with compliance department to intervene and execute proper procedure if it is determined that some act of violation occurred. Make sure to articulate that it is your responsibility to be the executor of safety and may be at risk if not discussed and concluded.

Address the situation with them to discover the true intent, then document the incident in order to follow up such for future reference. Their answer will determine the course of action to be taken, whether immediate or intermediate.

Confidential Records. There is numerous ways to handle and depending on your position in the workplace. For myself, I not only was an employee, but the Union President. So handling it I would make sure to get the full story why the files were accessed. What was the reason behind doing it. What was the information going to be used for. Then I would be prepared to address the situation when management addresses it with the employee. So to give a straight answer regarding the inappropriate access I can’t say how I would handle.

In Case Management, where work is often telephonic and performed in cubicles, confidential information is sometimes inappropriately shared by means other than file access. HIPAA trainings do not always cover circumstances where a colleague is overheard sharing PHI with yourself, or a peer. I have had colleagues invite me to view their screen to ask, "Do you know this person?" Also, shockingly, I have had a peer announce to a large group that they were assigned to contact a well-known individual. In these cases, I provided immediate education to the individual and requested additional formal education for the department. Organizations should consider creating HIPPA policies specific to the workplace with expectations for compliance.

This is 100% true. Find the company’s protocol first. Then move accordingly.. There is a way to do everything and contacting human resources is always the best. Depending on your company’s protocol should always be first. Saves a lot of unnecessary situations!!

If they had no right to go into those patient confidential files, then it is not my job to assess for why they should’ve been in there or make a determination. Compliance call immediately. Compliance can determine if it was a mistake, or repeated issue.

Never assume. It is easier to ask. If you think your colleague is acting in breach of security, address the issue. Your colleague may have been granted access that you may not be aware of. If you act on an assumption without having first addressed the issue with your colleague, it is likely to result in unnecessary stress in the work environment. The person will likely feel hurt that the worst assumed, betrayed at not having receive the benefit of the doubt, or the respect of being asked directly. It can cause distrust among co-workers. Violating the rights of another person is unacceptable. Your patients, co-workers, and superiors should all be confident in your ability to act in ways that are honest, fair, & respectful to everyone.