Jehovah's Witnesses as medical records employees, and Medical Privacy laws.

by Balaamsass2 20 Replies latest watchtower medical

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  littlerockguy

  I was a medical transcriptionist when I was a JW and I have typed medical reports on JWs who received medical treatment and one time it was revealed in a dictation that an unmarried JW had multiple sex partners but I kept that information to myself when I was working in that capacity, however I know others may not have. I guess I was not a model witness at the time.

  If you work in healthcare and you disclose confidential information you can be individually sued as well as prosecuted. That kind of violation has serious consequences and it may show up to future employers who would do a background check on you even if you no longer work in healthcare.
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  Vidiot

  littlerockguy - "I guess I was not a model witness at the time."

  You were, however, a highly ethical person, so there's that.
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  JHK

  The Watchtower, September 1, 1987, pages 12-15.
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  Lee Elder

  This highlights the challenge a JW patient and their doctor face should they wish to accept a blood product not presently approved by Watchtower leaders. Additionally, almost all "no blood" programs are staffed with at least some JW personnel. When the bloodless options are exhausted, and JW patients want more choices, there are typically prying eyes preventing it. Perhaps its not even offered since it doesn't fit in the business model that JW administrators set up to drive traffic to the program. The ethics are troubling to say the least.
  
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  joey jojo

  Sensitive information about one of my female relatives was given to her family by a self righteous young witness who worked at the clinic she visited.

  Her family threatened legal action against the clinic worker and the clinic if she persisted and the problem went away.

  It would be interesting to see how far the org would distance itself from a health worker who decided to turn in a fellow believer. I'm pretty sure the org would try to wash its hands of any involvement.
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  Bill Covert

  the hypothetical "Mary" the clerk in the article A Time To Speak When? was really a nurse named Sharon of Oakland Ca. who married my uncle, Ned. The issue was her seeing a married sister scheduled for a abortion, she informed elders. Got black balled from medical profession. I only met her once in 2006.
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  Balaamsass2

  Actually, 3rd gens ex-hubby got out by TWO JW sisters who worked in that hospital's medical records department. LOL, so I guess there were two witnesses. I was amazed at how many JWs worked in hospitals or contracted to do medical transcription. ( The pay is good, benefits and flexible schedules).
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  DesirousOfChange

  "Are the are any reasons you might feel the need to break patient confidentiality?" and/or make all employees sign statements that would make them personally liable for damage done for such breaches. ~ Careful
  

  Employees are made personally liable, but what good is that if they are a typical JW that has saved away very little in assets?
  
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  steve2

  I work in a large provincial hospital in New Zealand where ALL employees are required to sign an array of documents, chief of which are those pertaining to patient confidentiality and compliance with the country's Privacy Act.

  If any employee is found to have breached a patient's confidentiality or accessed a medical record of a patient to which they are not entitled to gain access, it would constitute a charge of serious misconduct. The hospital would be required to strictly follow established employment procedures when investigating any breach even though the outcome would most likely be termination of employment. Every employee knows the consequences of breaching confidentiality and the hospital would not accept as a justification a religious edict that the employee needed to report breaches of religious laws. BTW, the database of patient information records each employee who accesses that information and that employee had better have a valid reason for accessing the database e.g., a doctor who needs to access patient information to safely treat the patient).
  
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  LongHairGal

  STEVE2:

  With regard to databases that record which employee accesses information: I had a conversation with a bank officer because I was concerned about anybody using their position in the bank to look up people’s accounts so as to know their business. I did not mention religion but wanted to know what the policies would be.

  The bank officer told me about a young lady who did just that..She decided to look up a neighbor’s information. Because she had NO business to be accessing this database she was terminated!.. I was glad to hear this because I would not put it past some JW (either because of jealousy or curiosity) to use his/her position to spy and be nosy about the business of people they know and then it would be blabbed all over the damn congregation.

  This lack of regard for confidentiality is a problem that needs a solution. Pronto.