Question

1. “A Simmons College survey of about 150 people who went to the South Shore Mental Health Center’s crisis unit has prompted questions about whether the center violated patient confidentiality. The center gave a college research team the names, addresses and telephone numbers of randomly selected people who sought emergency help in September. The decision to turn over names and other information, which was used to conduct a ‘consumer satisfaction’ survey, has drawn complaints from two patients who say the center violated their right to privacy… Simmons did the survey as a student research project. Those who were asked to participate had two chances to decline. Patients could call a telephone number to say ‘no’ after they got the letter, or they could withdraw when a student called them to conduct the phone interview. If they didn’t call ‘it was presumed that they were giving their consent’ to be interviewed. The two patients felt that they’d lost their privacy. ‘If you went to a crisis unit, would you want your name passed around by a bunch of college students?’ asked one of the women, who went to the center because she was feeling ‘suicidal.’ The second woman said she doubted she would ever be able to trust the confidentiality of any counseling agency. ‘This ices my going to another counselor anywhere,’ she said. ‘I don’t believe there is any privacy’ ” (Lambert, 1996, p. 1). Did giving names, addresses, and telephone numbers violate or not violate the privacy of the patients? Justify your answer.

Answer 1

Privacy of a patient refers to maintaining high confidentiality in protecting the details or information of a patient in regards to their medical treatment.This includes tight from personal information to most sensitive consents given for a diagnostic procedures or treatment)Revealing this to a stranger (Researcher here) or any third person is considered to be breach of confidentiality because the details are given without patient consent. Here the center has violated the privacy of patients under the HIPAA law.This type of incidents can lead to defaming an organization on 9ts trust to depend on and get treatment.