In an increasingly complex and technical medical environment, patient privacy is becoming an ever more important concern. New federal regulations were recently enacted to increase patient privacy in health care situations. These laws, known by the acronym HIPAA mainly concern speech privacy. Until now, regulations only covered printed information, whether it was a written document or an electronic one.

Increased Patient Privacy Through HIPAA

HIPAA seeks to increase patient privacy by requiring that verbal communication between health care provider and patient be held to the same privacy standard as written communication. Oral privacy must be safeguarded and is regulated by HIPAA advisory groups like ISO and ANSI. Health care providers are required to take reasonable steps to protect the privacy of patient information. Though it does not specify what 'reasonable' means, it does leave the jurisdiction up to the courts.

One way I've discovered to protect patient privacy is by strategically placing white noise emitters around the medical office. White noise reduces the volume of spoken communication so that it satisfies the requirements outlined in HIPAA. Levels are reduced to a level that is acceptable on the privacy scale according to the Articulation Index used by ASTM, or the American Society of Test and Materials.

White noise creates a cocoon of sound from which voices cannot escape. The sound of voices is masked by the white noise making them unintelligible to other people. No one else can overhear private conversations intentionally or accidentally, thus ensuring the health care provider meets the criteria set forth in HIPAA and can avoid potentially serious allegations of breach of confidentiality.