Conducting Confidentiality Awareness Programs

During a recent visit to a small physician practice, a relatively new member of the staff shared the following: On my first day I was given a password to the system and was shown a computer at my workstation. I did not receive any formal instructions on how to operate the computer; I did not sign a confidentiality agreement; and I did not receive an orientation to the importance of confidentiality. She paused and then added, I just think there's a better way of orienting new staff. She is correct, and in this final article of this three-part series on computer and confidentiality, I will discuss some issues to consider when educating staff about the importance of safeguarding patient confidentiality.

In a previous article, we discussed the fact that having an information security policy protects the confidentiality rights of patients. It also serves to reduce organizational risks and potential liabilities. But just having a policy is not enough. Staff need to understand the policy in order to carry it out. In this regard, conducting educational awareness programs is the key ingredient in implementing effective security programs. When planning to implement educational awareness programs two issues need to be addressed: 1) the goals of an educational program; and 2) the audiences.

Educational Goals

The goals of an educational awareness program should be to:

• Raise the level of confidentiality awareness among physicians, nurses, laboratory staff, and office personnel.
• Ensure that members of the staff understand the Information Security Policy.
• Educate members of the staff about their respective responsibilities to safeguard confidential information.
• Enhance the quality of care provided to your patients and their families.

The Audiences

Depending on the organizational structure of your practice, the following represent key audiences to educate regarding maintaining the confidentiality of patient records.

• New Staff Orientation - New staff orientations are an ideal time to communicate to all new employees that they are responsible for protecting the confidentiality of patient care, business, personnel, and information pertaining to the medical staff. Specifically, it might be prudent to have new staff review and sign the organization's confidentiality agreement as well as discuss key confidentiality matters.
• Physician Orientation - Physicians need to know that there are federal and state laws that must be followed in order to safeguard patient confidentiality. Physicians also need to understand and have an opportunity to discuss the ethical issues involved in maintaining patient confidentiality. And, they need to understand the importance of providing staff with only the access they need in order to perform their position responsibilities.
• Employee - Employees need to know what steps the organization is taking to protect its informational resources, particularly patient care. Employees also need to know what they can do to safeguard confidential information. Specifically, employees need to understand how much information is to be released to others both with and without consent. They also need to know the policies on the sharing of medical information via voice mail, e-mail, and facsimile. To be most effective, employees should attend an annual educational awareness program on the importance of maintaining confidentiality.
• Guest Users - Students and volunteers need to understand the importance of protecting patient information and what they are expected to do to safeguard confidential information.

In this day when so many people have access to patients' records - both manual and electronic - it is imperative that health care organizations both large and small have strong information security policies. Once these policies are signed, it is important to conduct educational awareness programs to ensure that physicians, staff, and guest users understand and abide by these policies. To do anything less in this digital age is to risk losing the confidence of the American public.