Here here.  My own doctor can';t really get involved when I'm in the
hospital useless he is the one who admitted me.  I have to rely for
aftercare on a surgeon who feels his job is done once he has cut.  And gets
frustrated if he has to deal with any sort of after care.

Course if worked out well last time.  Once I got out of the hospital my
surgeon was never available so I got to see the Nice good liking southern
gentleman surgeon for wound care and such.  He was sweet.  Mind you I'd
never let him near me with a scalpel.  But he does great follow-up.

Then I threw a clot in my shoulder.  Hospital fault for not maintaining a
line.  I don't really care.  Just want it better and to be able to relax is
peace and quiet for another week.  They even got me a new TV for I could
watch the NBA finals.  (And joined me in my room for the party).

Cause for a lawsuit makes them so sweet and nice.  Or at least they give the
ones who would like to be sweet and nice free rein.

there should be a book title  HIPPA in a small town.  Do they have a clue
what wives talk about at football games.  Secrets, we aint got no bloody
secrets.

Jo

Well said,,,,  It is a sign of the times.   I do not know what the answer is
but much the same can be seen in dealing with our schools and trying to get
a child an education.   0 degree tolerance  is a sign of incompetence and
the inability of higher ups to make decisions while controlling a situation.
   Just because laws are passed does not mean the outcome will be
improvement.   Hospitals, schools,,ect.
Harv

Wow, and I always thought *my* town was the worst, for everything!  I
remember that when I was admitted, before I was given the "pre
anesthesia" shot (great party drug if it's a SHORT party), I was asked
to list who I would allow to know I was in hospital.  When I said
family, they asked for names, when I said friends, same thing.  In
fact, they were the ones who asked me if I wanted a priest to come see
me (the docs weren't sure I was going to survive the sepsis), and which
one.  The hospital even called my doctor to tell him I was going to
have emergency surgery, so he could be there when I woke up.

Perhaps you might suggest something like this to them?  I know our
hospital is networked, so after they put all the info into a laptop,
they then took it and attached it to the network and downloaded my
stuff (names, religion, allergies, food preferences) so that anyone
with patient access could read whatever portions pertained to them.

IOW, the receptionist would not know my religion (as s/he did not have
authorization for that screen), but s/he *could* see who all was
allowed information about me.

Smokie Darling (Annie)-who just realized when she stopped being
embarrassed by being naked in front of health care professional...

That happened here at Lahey when it first started but
seemed to iron out a bit over the last two years. Guess
you need to have photo copies to take with you when you
are discharged from the hospital. Like refuse leave
unless you have them in your hot little hands.
Duckie

((((((Donna)))))))  

It seems that they should have a release of info form you can sign at the
hospital asking that all records pertaining to your hospitalization be sent
to Dr so-and-so.  If they don't, send them a letter suggesting it!

As for your pastor, in Alpena area pastors register through the volunteer
office and get hospital IDs that identify them as clergy.  This allows them
to get a patient's room number from the info desk downstairs.  If I go in and
ask, they won't tell me, but they will tell Mike with his ID badge.  
(Needless to say, his badge lives in the glove compartment of his car!)

As an aside, they are no longer allowed to say anyone's name on any emergency
calls.  Taht doesn't matter in larger areas, but around here it is a source
of great frustration.  Our emergency personnel in this county are all
good-hearted volunteers, most of whom have had family here going back
generations.  They can all locate "John Doe's house" much faster then "555 W
Fifth Street".  Even if you tell them when you call to use your name, they
are no allowed to do so.  Blanket legislation isn't always the best solution.

DonnaG wrote: following up with additional medical care can be almost
impossible because the doctors no longer send copies of what was done
in
the hospital for you to your doctors and then the doctors don't have
any
idea what went on and how to treat you

  I've learned just how nuts this is firsthand. Jeff was in the
hospital (diabetic coma) from November 2nd to 7th. Because they screwed
up his bipolar meds so badly, his psychiatrist requested a Depakote
level on November 3rd. She called in the order and followed it up in
writing. Jeff also signed a paper giving permission for her to speak to
all his doctors and have access to all of his records. After about a
million phone calls and finally threats of a lawsuit, we FINALLY
received his lab results last week! Ridiculous! Our privacy should be
protected, but, this is going too far <sigh>.
--
Hugs, Patty
Hoping your hills are never too steep.

actually, i'm glad you got that off your chest.  (((((((donnag))))))

what you describe really doesn't make sense.  it seems very inefficient to
me.  i would think it makes integrating/coordinating care and/or treatments
between specialties, to benefit the patient, more difficult and could also
cause missed medical options/opportunities (for want of a better word).

there are a lot of hospitalized patients who are far too ill, temporarily,
and who don't have a mate or an advocate to be a legal voice for them (might
not have been able to afford to create the document that appoints somebody,
or might not even have known such a document can be necessary)---to list who
may or may not need to know, or need to have access to the patient's
records, or access more general information about the patient's condition,
or visiting access.

what of the person living alone who calls 911, just before they lapse into
some suddenly unconscious state, like a diabetic coma or an altered state
from a stroke or some such thing? too ill to point out or locate a purse or
wallet, containing a list of whom to notify? what if they were too ill to
sign the hippa document (or obviously, any other ER documents)?  --does
hippa automatically apply?  does hippa apply to EMTs as well?  so, does that
mean that nobody will be informed of this person's plight?

i know that when i had those two epidural series done by the same doctor, i
thought it was really strange to have to sign the same hippa form for each
of the injection procedures in the same epidural series (3 times for each
series, in other words).  talk about wasting paper, time and money---it felt
unnecessarily redundant to me.

boy, thinking about it--- i'm glad hippa wasn't in force when butch's life
and death struggle began.  towards the end of his life, which is also when i
had double pneumonia, i truthfully didn't have any mindshare left to focus
on that kind of thing---who should or shouldn't have access to him or his
records (each and every time he entered the hospital, i mean).  i was
already on overload at every level.  i can only imagine what it must be like
for a patient who is utterly overwhelmed by his or her confusing and
difficult situation to have to deal with this, too.

i agree with you, donnag.  there has to be a better way and it shouldn't
have to be the patient's responsibility in all cases.  some laws are very
dumb laws, because they are slap-dashed together with shortsightedness.

kate

Hi Donna,

Its good to see you posting.  I hope you are feeling much better.  On
the other hand i've been in doctors office where they yell out your
full name.  How about that for hippa laws.  lOL

debbie m.

Ahh...  My latest Hipaa peeves:

My mother, who up till then was living by herself, cooking, driving, etc,
felt dizzy and was taken to an ER and admitted. Dr. ordered heavy duty
steroids cause he thought it was likely to be lack of O2 - breathing
difficulties. She then got downright weird in the hospital: cursing,
paranoia, going to the bathroom in the hallway. No one would tell my
brother, sister, or I what was going on - Hipaa!  Four weeks later after ins
and outs of rehab, nursing home, and assisted living, she passed away.  We
found out she was terminal the day before. Liver failed - cirrhotic.
Non-drinker all her life. It happens.  But we found out that they knew this
the second day in the hospital, but it was up to her to tell us - Hipaa! And
her strange sudden psychotic episodes were found to be steroid-induced. So
she was not in a clear state of mind to tell us - she had no idea - and my
sis had durable power of atorney for merdical decisions, but that doesn't
come into play unless they declare her incompetent. Whch they didn't, cause
those docs didn't know about the steroid-induced psychosis - Hipaa. A truly
sad state of affairs.  What a mess.

And when I had to be admitted a year later, I insisted on listing all people
who were allowed to know all my medical issues. I made it a long list -
wife, children, aunts, uncles, and - yes - my voice mail! They said no, and
I said, "See ya." Wouldn't let them get started till they attached that to
my chart and gave my wife a signed receipt accepting the list as Hipaa
compliant.

Lastly, I loved dealing with the miserable lady who works at the local MRI
facility. She tried to have me sign a form saying I have received and read
and agree to their Hipaa policy. But, I said, where is it? You didn't give
me one! She looked at me with a pure hate in her eyes and told me "No one
reads them - just sign the form!".  OK, I decided to have some fun. I
insisted she give me a form to read. She couldn't find any. They're a part
of the hospital consortium in my area, so I called a friend in medical
records at one of the hospitals and she had their Hipaa director (they
actually have one of those?!) drive a box of them over, give me one, and
then give the box, and a little "training", to the lady behind the counter!
Fun to watch. To top it off, I insisted on the same long list of friends and
relatives who are allowed to receive medical info on me. I think she may
have quit.....  :-)