One woman is distraught and traumatized because she says the hospital where she sought help after a sexual assault called her mom to follow up on what should’ve been an anonymous rape kit.
In a video that has amassed over 2.5 million views and over 232,000 likes, user Laine (@bipolarshakira) shared how terrible she felt after having her privacy invaded.
@bipolarshakira #hipaa #hipaaviolation #hospital #er #fyp #foryou ♬ som original – isa ✩
“Me rn because the hospital I went to, to get an ANONYMOUS grape kit done literally called my mom this morning with a follow-up,” text overlaid on the woman’s video read. “I’m 20. HIPAA?”
Laine looks down into the camera with a deadpan, sad look on her face while a voice screams loudly.
In the comments section, many questioned how the hospital was able to contact the woman’s mother if she did the kit anonymously.
“If it was anonymous, how did they get your mom’s number?” one person asked.
TikTok users responded to the question by sharing stories where something similar happened to them.
“My mom was my emergency contact at my doctor they used to accidentally call her all the time to confirm my appointments,” one user claimed.
“I put my dad down now I’m in my 20s and If they call him asking if he’s my dad he informs them they’re breaking hippa by calling him in a nonemergency,” another added.
Others advised the woman to take legal action against the hospital.
“Sue!” one user wrote. “I know it won’t take care of true emotional damage it’s caused you but the payout from a lawsuit can cover therapy and any other resources!!”
“Call for a Patient Advocate at the hospital!!” another said. “They are there for things like this. I’m so sorry gf.”
The HIPAA Privacy Rule protects the health information of patients and sets limits on what can be shared without the authorization of an individual. An individual’s past, present, and future health information is protected by the law as well as all mental health conditions, treatments, and payment for treatment.
The Daily Dot reached out to Laine via TikTok comment for updates and more information.
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Source: https://www.dailydot.com/news/woman-hospital-follow-up-rape-kit/