Journal of Human Trafficking
Volume 4, Issue 2, 2018, Pages 105-113

Human Trafficking and HIPAA: What the Health Care Professional Needs to Know (Article)

Powell C. , Asbill M. , Brew S. , Stoklosa H.*
  • a Department of Pediatrics, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States
  • b School of Social Work, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, IL, United States
  • c Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
  • d Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

As health-care-professional awareness about human trafficking rises and clinicians recognize their role as first responders to human-trafficking victims, they are thrust into in a unique position at the intersection of health and law. Recent literature indicates that health-care providers have a role to play, but some are reluctant to become engaged. One reason may be a lack of clarity about matters related to patient privacy as delineated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This article lays out key questions and answers, as well as a simple algorithm, to assist the United States-based health-care professional in caring for trafficked patients while complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The article uses four case scenarios to illustrate real situations faced by clinicians when caring for potential human-trafficking patients followed by questions and answers and, where appropriate, quotes from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. © 2017, © 2017 Taylor & Francis.

Author Keywords

Human trafficking Health-care professionals patient privacy HIPAA

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85067238946&doi=10.1080%2f23322705.2017.1285613&partnerID=40&md5=94eb6e9bc0ae904fa61b189d209d90b9
DOI: 10.1080/23322705.2017.1285613
ISSN: 23322705
Cited by: 1
Original Language: English