Can doctors talk about patients to friends?

A physician may discuss a patient’s treatment with the patient in the presence of a friend when the patient brings the friend to a medical appointment and asks if the friend can come into the treatment room.

Are doctors allowed to talk about cases?

Yes. Under federal privacy rules, doctors can give the press (and the public at large) only the most general information about a patient, called “directory information.” They can confirm that a specific patient has been admitted to the hospital, and they can give a short assessment of his overall condition.

Can you discuss patient without saying their name?

HIPAA violation: yes. However, even without mentioning names one must keep in mind if a patient can identify themselves in what you write about this may be a violation of HIPAA. HIPAA violation: potentially yes if someone can identify it is them and prove it. So, technically yes but proving it would be difficult.

Is sharing a name a HIPAA violation?

Displaying names, especially when it’s limited to first names and/or initials, does not breach the Privacy Rule — nor, for that matter, do sign-in logs, patient names on hospital doors, or publicly available treatment schedules. All of these cases are well within the application of HIPAA privacy regulations.

Is just a name a HIPAA violation?

Patient names (first and last name or last name and initial) are one of the 18 identifiers classed as protected health information (PHI) in the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Sending an email containing PHI to an incorrect recipient would be an unauthorized disclosure and a violation of HIPAA.

Can doctors discuss patients anonymously?

Confidentiality is an important ethical and legal duty for doctors, but it is not absolute. Doctors may disclose personal information without breaching duties of confidentiality under certain circumstances, such as when the disclosure is of overall benefit to a patient who lacks capacity to consent.