[healthcare2004]

There anymore.I saw a patient of the office at the mall last week she asked for my phone number and I gave to her.Is it a hippa violation?I don't work at the office anymore

[AK lawyer]

The office is a medical provider subject to HIPAA? Assuming it was, and even if you still worked there, how do you figure your phone number would be protected information?

The answer is "no" under just about any imaginable circumstances.

[ScottGem]

I'm curious as to why your phone # was requested. However, as long as you do not discuss ANYTHING that you learned as part of your employment, then you haven't violated anything.

[healthcare2004]

It is a office subject to HIPPA.I don't work there anymore.I saw the patient (from the office I worked) at the mall she approach to me and ask for my phone number that she wants to keep in touch .I gave to her.She text message me.We never talked about her personal informations or office.Now the office manager of the office is sending me messages and calling(terrorizing me,talking about his laywer contact me) telling me he spoke with this patient and the patient had told him I gave my phone number.The patient don't want to make more appoitments with the office.The manager is telling me Im doing hippa violation.Is this right?But I don't work there anymore and I live at the same community the patient lives.Exchange phone numbers after I quit would be a hippa violation?I think the manager is just mad that I left and people that like my work just don't want to continue the tretament there.When I leave there I was very professional and never let the patients know I was leaving and never exchange phones numbers while I was working there.I'm just worry about the situation,shouldn't I be?Thanks

[JudyKayTee]

I, in fact, see a problem here - how does the office manager know that you are in contact with the patient unless either you or the patient told him/her? And why would that be mentioned at all UNLESS it was a mutual "gripe" session over the phone - the patient expressing unhappiness with the office and you responding in kind.

And now the patient doesn't want to go to that medical office any longer? Why is that and how did your name figure into that conversation?

Were your phone conversations (or texting or whatever) critical of the office, the personnel, something else and is that the problem the office manager is having?

Otherwise, this makes no sense.

By the way, it's HIPAA, not HIPPA.

[healthcare2004]

They call the patient to reschedule her for her next appoitment,The patient told the manager She spoke with me at the mall and I gave my phone number to her,and that she wants to find out where I'm working to continue the tratament with me, outside of their office but I never gave this information to the patient exactaly because I don't think It's professional.And my concern is if It's a HIPAA violation.Because that is what the manager is tell me

**By the way thanks for the HIPAA word correction

[ScottGem]

First, for follow-up question or info please use the Answer options, not Comments.

The Office manager is out of line. There is no HIPAA violation as long as you do not discuss anything you learned at the office. Tell the Office Mgr, you have done nothing wrong and to stop harassing you otherwise you will contact an attorney.

The fact that you did not tell this patient where you were currently working (and you should not at this point), works in your favor. Clearly the Office Mgr thinks you are poaching patients (apparently untrue) and is upset because of that.

[healthcare2004]

I agree with you I just want to make sure I was not doing anything against the law or unprofessional.Thank you all for the answers.

[AK lawyer]

... Clearly the Office Mgr thinks you are poaching patients (apparently untrue) and is upset because of that.

Although, in the absence of a non-competition agreement, there is nothing illegal about "poaching patients".

As has been said repeatedly, there is no HIPAA problem. The office manager seems to be hopelessly confused on that score.