Comments on: Medical blogs in the USA Today http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medical-blogs-in-usa-today.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Val Joneshttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medical-blogs-in-usa-today.html#comment-75115 Val Jones Wed, 16 May 2007 12:16:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/05/medical-blogs-in-the-usa-today.html#comment-75115 I've been wondering how much alteration in a story is sufficient to comply with HIPAA. Where is the line between fact and fiction that is appropriate for general consumption? Is it enough to leave out name, date, location - or should one also change gender, disease state? Bruce is right that if the story is altered too much the lesson may be compromised. How do other bloggers find the right balance? Any guidelines/rules? I’ve been wondering how much alteration in a story is sufficient to comply with HIPAA. Where is the line between fact and fiction that is appropriate for general consumption? Is it enough to leave out name, date, location – or should one also change gender, disease state? Bruce is right that if the story is altered too much the lesson may be compromised. How do other bloggers find the right balance? Any guidelines/rules?

]]> By: Brucehttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medical-blogs-in-usa-today.html#comment-75113 Bruce Wed, 16 May 2007 12:08:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/05/medical-blogs-in-the-usa-today.html#comment-75113 As a physician, we spend years learning to distill a clinical situation down to a succinct “story” that can be re-told when needed at rounds, at case conference, at tumor board, or in the clinical record. We seek to relay the “truth” as we can best discern it. <br/><br/>I am a new blogger and I clearly identify myself in my postings. I find it difficult to turn the stories into works of fiction. Since the “truth” is contained in the story, I am more likely to de-identify patients by leaving out identifying information rather than altering it. The real meaning might be contained in the subtle sub-texts, and since each reader takes away what he or she can find in the stories, I risk changing the lesson by altering what happened. As a physician, we spend years learning to distill a clinical situation down to a succinct “story” that can be re-told when needed at rounds, at case conference, at tumor board, or in the clinical record. We seek to relay the “truth” as we can best discern it.

I am a new blogger and I clearly identify myself in my postings. I find it difficult to turn the stories into works of fiction. Since the “truth” is contained in the story, I am more likely to de-identify patients by leaving out identifying information rather than altering it. The real meaning might be contained in the subtle sub-texts, and since each reader takes away what he or she can find in the stories, I risk changing the lesson by altering what happened.

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