62nd Annual Meeting

October 26 - 31, 2015

Special Interest Study Group 10 (Canceled)

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act: An Interpretation That Encourages Communication With Caregivers

Many clinicians misunderstand HIPAA, and as a result are too restrictive in what information they share with family members; yet, virtually every major mental health organization has clear ethical guidelines stating that duties of confidentiality are not absolute and may need to be modified to protect the patient or others. It is important to understand the exceptions to HIPPA when communicating with families and caregivers. Topics covered include: therapeutic benefits of communication with caregivers, exemptions within HIPPA that permit such communication, ethical justifications contained in the codes of ethics, and the relative lack of threat for liability stemming from breaching confidentiality.