Google patient reviews are actually a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) violation. This means that doctors and other health experts are not supposed to leave online reviews for their patients.
LONDON - APRIL 13: In this photo illustration, the logo of the multi-facetted internet giant Google is reflected in the eye of a woman looking at a computer screen, April 13, 2006 in London, England.
For those who have no idea what HIPAA is, this law is specifically created to protect patient's personal details from being shared without their consent.
Right now, many people are still confused about HIPAA violations. Asking if someone is vaccinated or not is not a HIPAA violation.
But, sharing a patient's name, medical complications, and other sensitive details is already violating HIPAA's rules.
Google Patient Reviews Violate HIPAA?
According to The Verge's latest report, a dentist in North Carolina was already fined $50,000.
TOPSHOT - This picture taken on November 5, 2018 shows a woman passing a booth of Google at the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai on . (Photo by Johannes EISELE / AFP)
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"Does he deserve any rating as a patient? Not even one star," said U. Phillip Igbinadolor.
The dentist left a patient review back in September 2015. However, the Department of Health and Human Services said that he provided his patient's full name, medical history, as well as the dental problem he is suffering from.
The issue started after the individual left a negative review for Igbinadolor. Since the health expert wants to explain his side, he also reviewed his patient to explain the scenario.
The dentist shared that his patient was experiencing "excruciating pain." This forced him to conduct a root canal operation. But, it seems like the individual was dissatisfied.
HIPAA Patient Review Violation Not Uncommon
The issue with the North Carolinian dentist is really not that common. A similar HIPAA violation also happened back in 2016.
ProPublica reported that some doctors, dentists, and chiropractors also violated HIPAA after they provided their patients' sensitive information via Yelp.
HIPAA violations are quite serious. Some of them can also lead to criminal charges, jailing those who bypass the health act.
For example, if a person sells PHI (Protected Health Information) to another individual, they will be jailed up to 10 years and fined up to $250,000.
So, if you are a health expert and want to avoid any HIPAA violation, the best thing you need to do is keep your patients' personal information.
Recently, some rumors claimed that Google abuses app developers. Because of this, the tech firm was fined by France $2.2 million.
On the other hand, the new Google Chrome 101 Beta version is now available.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
