Privacy & Trust Go Hand in Hand

by Trish Voss

Trust is defined in the Webster’s dictionary as “total confidence in the integrity, ability and good character of another or one in whom confidence is placed.” When you read the definition it really makes you wonder how many people are up to such a tall order. Still, it’s a standard we’d all do well to aspire to, especially as health care professionals.

We often talk about earning another’s trust, but sometimes we must unconditionally place our trust in others. This can be difficult for most of us, especially when it involves our health. When we are sick or hurt we need to trust our healthcare providers to make decisions in our best interest. We need to feel confident in their abilities and trust their integrity and character. And when we trust our healthcare professionals, we need to trust everyone they work with — their lab, EMR, affiliated hospital, office staff — sometimes it amazes me how much faith we do put in our doctors and everyone they work with.

As healthcare providers we agree to trust our patients and respect their rights. The HIPAA legislation requires us to protect each patient’s privacy, but it doesn’t talk about the responsibility that comes with the trust our patients must give us. To me, the emphasis in educating our staff should go far beyond the verbiage included in the regulations. Yes, we need to ensure our patient’s privacy is protected, but we also need to understand and respect the trust our patients place in us.

The new breach notification requirements require us to inform our patients when we haven’t lived up to their expectations. This means that when we do fail them, we need to inform them of that failure. As difficult as it is to earn their trust, we have to live with how much harder it is to rebuild once it’s lost. How do you get your patients to trust you again after a privacy violation?