By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    headphones can create health problems
    The Harmful Health Effects of Using Headphones
    September 24, 2021
    Headache causes
    4 Causes Of Headache You Probably Didn’t Know About
    December 28, 2021
    follow these steps to recover from your injury
    What Steps Should You Take to Recover More Quickly from an Injury?
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Do You Know What’s in Your Pain Pill?
    May 11, 2011
    Depression and Diabetes Linked
    June 23, 2011
    Positive Health and the Heart
    July 28, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Handling HIPAA Rules In Sports: Why Athlete Privacy Matters
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Medical Ethics > Handling HIPAA Rules In Sports: Why Athlete Privacy Matters
Medical EthicsMedical Records

Handling HIPAA Rules In Sports: Why Athlete Privacy Matters

jennacyprus
Last updated: April 18, 2016 6:58 pm
jennacyprus
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

HIPAA breaches are all too common, and the number of reported cases has grown significantly over the last decade. Most often associated with medical professionals and healthcare centers, these breaches can lead to serious legal issues, including medical negligence claims and professionals losing their licenses. However, it’s not only relegated to these areas. It can also play a role in sports when the media gets ahold of a major injury.

Athletes Have HIPAA Rights Too

HIPAA breaches are all too common, and the number of reported cases has grown significantly over the last decade. Most often associated with medical professionals and healthcare centers, these breaches can lead to serious legal issues, including medical negligence claims and professionals losing their licenses. However, it’s not only relegated to these areas. It can also play a role in sports when the media gets ahold of a major injury.

Athletes Have HIPAA Rights Too

More Read

digital patient
Collaborating with Patients in the Digital Information Age
Stage 2 of Meaningful Use Delayed to 2014
ONC Releases RFI on Catalyzing Interoperability of EHRs at HIMSS13
Meaningful Use Stage 3: The Buzz About APIs
Big Data = Big Savings in Healthcare

When a major athlete gets hurt, it’s not uncommon for the media to know every detail of their prognosis and treatment. What’s less clear, however, is how much permission these athletes have given regarding the release of this information. Athletes don’t simply check their HIPAA rights at the locker room door, after all.

HIPAA regulations should come into play when athletes undergo any kind of medical procedure, whether it’s a surgery or physical therapy. If a tennis player chooses to disclose the fact that she’s using rebounder nets as a part of her physical therapy, that’s her prerogative, but others don’t have the right to release the information for her, even if she’s famous.

Sports HIPAA Breach 

There have actually been several cases in which the medical records of major athletes have been shared via public means, and violated the patient’s rights. Most recently, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter tweeted the medical record of Jason Andrew Pierre-Paul, exposing private information that subjected the reporter to a lawsuit and ended in the firing of two hospital employees who leaked the records.

After Pierre-Paul lost his finger and other parts of his right hand in a firework accident during his Independence Day celebration last year, he was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment. It wasn’t long before the press had a hold of his medical information and published it.

In the legal aftermath that followed, Jackson Memorial Hospital portrayed a good example of how to handle the situation. They quickly published the following statement:

“During the investigation of a breach that occurred in July 2015, Jackson Health System became a party to related litigation. It is our policy that we do not comment during pending litigation. That litigation has now been settled. As part of our investigation into the breach, it was discovered that two employees inappropriately accessed the patient’s health record. That finding resulted in the termination of both employees. Protecting the privacy of our patients is a top priority at Jackson Health System. Any time we have allegations of a breach, we immediately and thoroughly investigate.”

Policies Protect Athlete Rights

There have been discussions in the past about whether or not public figures’ health records should be made public; but in 2002, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reinforced the policy.  “No class of individuals should be singled out for reduced privacy,” the statement said.

There’ll always be certain privacy mandates that’ll need to be carried out according to HIPAA regulations to ensure the privacy and safety of all parties. As medical professionals, it’s a responsibility and privilege to follow these regulations for the security and safety of everyone involved.  

Even professional athletes and other related figures must authorize any publication or use of their medical records. It’s important that all healthcare representatives follow this rule without exception.

TAGGED:HIPAAsports
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

DNA genome personalized healthcare
DiagnosticsMedical InnovationsMedical RecordsNewsWellness

Medicine Made for You: What Is Personalized Healthcare All About?

November 16, 2013
Medical Records

Webinar: 3M ICD-10 Imperatives for Education and Code Translation

January 5, 2012

Ripping Off Medicare

November 23, 2011
icd-10 and HIPAA
FinanceHospital AdministrationMedical RecordsPublic Health

Improve Document Security in the Face of ICD-10: A HIPAA Checklist

March 29, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?