ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and HIPAA (Health Information Privacy
Protection Act) mandate that medical information and P.I., Personal Information,
are kept in a secure place and only disclosed to those that have a legitimate
need to know. This applies to information about minors as well as about adults.
As you know, Safety Wise requires us to collect health information
for girls, adults and volunteers participating in various activities
like sports, trips and camping. In April of 2003, the Council adopted
the health information privacy procedures for our staff as required
by law. Please put the following procedures into place to ensure
we comply with these important rules for everyone’s protection.
Definition of Personal Information: This includes
all information such as names, addresses, social security numbers,
lists of prescription medication, doctor’s notes, health
records, immunization records, etc.
Maintenance of Records: First Aiders should keep
all health forms in a private, secure location where they cannot
be accessed by others. One inexpensive way to do this is to keep
medical forms in a confidential envelope, tape it shut, and write
your name over the tape and envelope to ensure no one has access.
If you have access to more sophisticated methods, like locked cabinets
or a locking briefcase, please use those to store this very sensitive
information.
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Confidentiality: Information
about anyone’s
health, medications or health history should not be shared with
anyone who does not have a legitimate need to know. This includes
friends, family, parents, troop leaders and other children. For
example, if a parent asks a first aider which children are on anti-depressants,
the first aider should not share this information. A first aider
or anyone else with medical knowledge about a child or adult should
not discuss the condition with his or her friends or family, unless
there is a legitimate informational need.
When you can share information: A legitimate
need might be sharing that one of the girls contracted bacterial
meningitis or some other communicable disease. In this case, it
would be vital for the information to be communicated to anyone
who had contact with the person. If an adult appeared to be suffering
from shock during an event and someone knew of a medical condition
they had, it would be important to share that with a first aid
trained person or emergency medical technician. Sharing medical
information with appropriate authorities in cases involving abuse
or neglect would also be appropriate.
In addition, if you as a volunteer are uncomfortable providing
medical information required under Safety Wise, you may choose
to keep that information in a sealed envelope to be opened only
in the event of an emergency. |
