Disclaimer

As a physician, I am bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. HIPAA's Privacy Rule protects "individually identifiable health information", which includes the individual's past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition; the provision of healthcare to the individual; or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of healthcare to the individual" and that "it identifies the individual or for which there is a reasonable basis to believe it can be used to identify the individual" (from hhs.gov)

There is a caveat: de-identified personal information can be used. This requires "the removal of specified identifiers of the individual and of the individual’s relatives, household members, and employers is required, and is adequate only if the covered entity has no actual knowledge that the remaining information could be used to identify the individual". (from hhs.gov)

To abide by these rules, I have altered the patient cases that I discuss on this blog. Most are conglomerations of multiple patients and interactions. I have edited in such a way that even an employee of my hospital or clinic would not be able to identify the specific patient or concern that I address.

The purpose of this blog is to discuss the ethical and complex medical questions that I encounter through my medical school and residency training. My goal is not to criticize or create doubt in the competence of medical professionals, but to simply discuss and share the lessons I have learned. 

Thank you, 

LAM