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Hospital waiting room area and HIPAA violation?

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PhilM

Junior Member
Hello. My wife had a fertility procedure and the results were very poor. At the facility, the doctor stops by the waiting room and asks the spouse/partner to step into the hallway, where the results of the procedure are discussed. Everyone in the waiting room can hear the results as the doctor informs the spouse. While I was waiting during my wife's procedure, I could easily hear other people's results "It went well...." including the specifics. I have average hearing and was sitting in a seat furthest away from the door, so I have to assume that most people can hear these discussions. When it was my turn to be informed, the doctor went into detail about what the complications were and the poor results. My wife has since seen a different doctor at another facility, and the procedure results were discussed far from the waiting room, in a more private location. Over time I now realize that the first facility may be blatantly in violation of patient privacy laws. There was almost no attempt on their behalf to respect patient privacy. Is this a violation of HIPAA? Do I have any legitimate legal options? Do I have a legitimate chance of collecting a monetary sum (the procedure and expenses leading up to it was $15000-20,000)?

Thank you.
 



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