Many hospitals across the U.S. have worried that clinical rotations, job shadowing and mentoring programs for high school and post-secondary students violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rule, which went into effect April 14, 2003.
Must these programs be eliminated or substantially altered?
According to Bill Siren, facilitator for THA’s HIPAA taskforce and a longtime compliance consultant, "The short answer is an emphatic 'No.' HIPAA . . .was never meant to hinder the healthcare industry. It was not meant to hinder quality care . . .and it was certainly not meant to hinder the education of our children in the form of job shadowing and clinical rotations."
Confidentiality, ethics and legal implications are an integral part of the curriculum for health science education students. So are teamwork and employability skills. All that is needed to ensure HIPAA compliance, according to Siren, is to:
- Train students and volunteers on HIPAA policies and procedures regarding privacy and patient confidentiality as part of their hospital orientation.
- Have each student sign a confidentiality agreement.
- When necessary, make patients aware that students may enter their rooms.
Job shadowing, mentoring and clinical rotations are irreplaceable experiences for young people exploring health careers. We need more, not fewer, to ensure a steady supply of passionate, dedicated future workers. THA strongly urges hospitals to provide and support these programs. If you have additional questions about HIPAA regulations and their impact on student clinical experiences, contact Chris Clarke at THA, 615-256-8240, cclarke@tha.com.
Salem Hospital in Salem, OR, requires job shadowing candidates to complete questions about patient confidentiality and patient rights on their application. An online orientation to patient rights and confidentiality prepares them to answer the application questions and contains links to other web sites for more in-depth information about these regulations.
To see Salem Hospital’s confidentiality and patient rights online orientation for job shadowing candidates, go to: salemhospital.org
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