Point being that concerned or not, HIPPA or no HIPPA, I would be more than mildly annoyed if my fiance’ went to MY doctor about ME. That is something for ME to do. Most physicians won’t even begin to discuss medical conditions even in broad terms, with anyone who might be their patient’s relative or soon to be relative. It just isn’t kosher. I work in an in hospital birth center. If a teen comes in to have a baby, and their parents wants info, the patient must give the doctor permission to talk to them. No doctor worth his salt will discuss with anyone, anything about a patient.No matter how concerned they may be unless the patient is present and gives permission.
Kathy
Nevertheless, if a parent were to call a doctor and tell him that their pregnant daughter was out partying and using alcohol, it would not be a HIPPA violation for that information to be given to the doctor. A physician would be totally within HIPPA to say, “I can’t speak about any of my patients or even whether a particular person is my patient, but alcohol use is always contraindicated during pregnancy. If I suspect one of the women in my care of abusing alcohol, I normally would bring that up with them. Whether she shares the content or fact of that conversation with her family, though, would be up to her.”
Now, a parent who “rats out” a pregnant daughter’s drinking binges to her physician are obviously in a different position than a family member who presumes that a doctor can’t see when a patient is overweight. I only mean that the fiance could tell the doctor that they would cooperate and not sabotage a diet and exercise program. How might that help the doctor? They know they could have the following conversation:
“Oh, look at that ring! Are you engaged, now? Well, that’s a great reason to start eating healthier and exercising. Maybe your fiance would be willing to do that with you?” The doctor would know in advance that the true answer would be in the affirmative.
HIPPA rules don’t protect the people doing the “ratting out”, though. A less discrete doctor could say, “Some guy claiming to be your fiance called me today and asked me to talk to you about diet and exercise. Under HIPPA rules, I couldn’t tell him that you even
were my patient, but…have you been having conversations about your health with your fiance? Would you like to talk about that? You really don’t have a serious weight problem, but by your own account you could stand to lose a few pounds, could eat better, and could use a bit more exercise. Do you have any questions about what your status is and what you can say to him? Would you like me to refer you to a nutritionist?” While I would think that doctor might be treading on ground left alone, it would depend on the relationship between that doctor and patient. Some would be fine with that…and might close with, “You seem pretty upset with your fiance for coming to me, but looking out for your health is a sign that he really cares about you, in my book. He told me clearly that he loves you no matter how you look and just wants to have a long life with you. Don’t be too hard on him.” The OP, however, should know that what the doctor chooses to do with the information is out of his hands and that his intended is in no way bound to report back on whether a conversation even took place. The doctor would be forbidden by HIPPA from talking about it at all with anyone but the patient and those people the patient specifies.
By the way, I’d be a bit reticent to marry someone who got angry with me for taking a concern with their health. Looks, that can be off-limits. Health…their body is pledged to me in marriage, and I think they should feel a duty to take care of it for my sake as much as for their own. If they went in to marriage with the “
it’s my health, so leave me alone” attitude, that would make me very uncomfortable. I’m the one who’s going to be pushing the wheelchair and then shoveling the dirt onto the coffin of someone who died too young. That makes it my concern.
If my husband wouldn’t sign the papers to give the OK for me to talk to their doctor, I think I’d be the one with reason to be upset. My husband feels the same about me.
These are things worth talking over before marriage, BTW.
smart man!