Angry at neuro's partner for breaking privacy law

Debbie D · 05-09-2012, 04:26 PM

Yesterday DH and I were in the waiting room of my neuro...his partner, a lout IMO was on the phone with doctors doing his call backs at the receptionist's desk.
He used his patients' full names, discussed their various ailments including bipolar disorder

and discussed how he was "tired" of this patient's hystrionics.

I couldn't believe my ears!! IMO he broke the HIPA law. I am tempted to send him an anonymous letter threatening to report him. I asked my neuro at the end of my appt to discuss this with his partner. He looked at me, rolled his eyes, and said, "If only that would do the trick..."

Isn't this a breach of the HIPA law?

KittyLady · 05-09-2012, 04:59 PM

Yes it is!!! I worked in nursing for 20 yrs, and this is a big no no!! I too have learned that reporting one doc to the primary doctor in the office, does nothing. I recently had a reaction to my dmd and needed to talk to my neuro and the on call neuro told me to next time call before the office closes and that there was nothing he could do for me and hung up on me. Well, the reaction happend 6 hours after the office closed. I had fire coming out of my ears and told my neuro about it and he just shrugged his shoulders. The doctor should be reported!!

Blessings2You · 05-09-2012, 05:08 PM

I'd report him. That could be YOU he's talking about next time.

I was sitting in a doctor's waiting room a few years back, and his receptionist/secretary was on the phone. I heard her say, "Hello, is this "Jane Smith"? This is Dr. C's office, and he wants you to discontinue the (med) and up the dosage of the (med)..." and so on.

Well, I KNEW "Jane Smith", and I was horrified. It could have been me! I told the doctor, but I still was uncomfortable there and switched to another practice.

ewizabeth · 05-09-2012, 05:29 PM

I know who you're talking about. He's a blow-hard. I was in the hospital near there for IV steroids and he was the doctor on call to come and check on me. He was out in the hall screaming to the nurses to come and do this or that.

I couldn't believe it. Then he came in the room and was as sweet as syrup to me. When the nurse came into the room, she looked like she'd like to smack him on the head and I could see why. He's full of himself.

On the other hand, he helped me in a couple of situations, so he can be a good doctor. But he shouldn't be discussing patients out loud like that!!

SallyC · 05-09-2012, 05:47 PM

That's discusting, Debbie..

Jules A · 05-09-2012, 06:11 PM

That is totally inappropriate and a HIPAA violation. That said if you were to write him a note, perhaps a receipt requested US mail note, you might stop his unethical practice without damaging the career of what might be an otherwise good physician.

Erin524 · 05-09-2012, 06:17 PM

My dad's a nurse. He thinks most doctors are schmucks. Yeah, they're usually great at fixing whatever a patient needs fixing, but my dad thought a lot of the doctors he worked with before he retired were full of themselves. Mostly narcissistic personalities.

My dad saw a couple of doctors get mad at other doctors/and or nurses in full view of patients...one jerk actually hit a (male) nurse for rightly questioning an order once. (my dad has lots of interesting stories about doctors)

Once I was at a doctor for a back injury I got in a car accident, and in the middle of my appointment, sitting on the exam table talking to the doctor, his wife, who was also the office secretary, came in and interrupted the doctor...she was complaining about the other doctor in the office. In front of me. Using words that cant be repeated in polite company. She was extremely unprofessional.

I was like...what the hell? This my appointment, go away and let me talk to the doctor so that my back will stop hurting. (took about 10mins before she shut up and left) The doctor's office was in a hospital. Same hospital my dad worked in. My dad got me the name of who to complain to and we complained. Next thing we knew, that doctor's wife was no longer the office secretary.

At least that doctor was actually nice and apologized profusely for his wife interrupting my appointment. I still complained about her because my dad and a couple of his other nurse friends said she did that all the time.

Kitty · 05-09-2012, 06:48 PM

Jules had a good suggestion. He needs to know that his behavior was totally unprofessional.

You know, if he acts like that in plain view of other patients just think how he behaves when patients can't see or hear him.

Jo*mar · 05-09-2012, 07:43 PM

If the office has an office manager that is the one to make an official complaint to , or maybe even the state medical board??

Not sure who is responsible for the following of Hippa /privacy rules...

You might do a search on that angle of it.

ms er since '06 · 05-09-2012, 09:39 PM

I was the assistant to a CEO of a hospital for 20 years. Violation of HIPAA rules is very serious, ESPECIALLY FOR A DOCTOR. This doc is fully aware of this and is doing this because he thinks he can. In order to maintain Joint Commission accreditation, EVERYONE in the hospital had to take HIPAA training, pass it, and a signed document stating that you took it and passed it went into your file in HR.

You would be doing all patients and staff in that facility a big time favor by reporting this (plus observations of his attitude) to the CEO of the hospital with a cc to the doc himself. You could also state the Medical Board and certification board would also like to have this information, if need be.

This is the only way to stop something like this.