posted
As an education major, I have to apply to the Teacher Education Program at my university. One of the requirements is a profile, completed online through a company called LiveText. Okay, whatever. But....while LiveText profiles aren't accessible to the general public unless you give them a visitor's login, all the university faculty and adminstrative people in the school of Education can view any UAB student's profile, we had to fill out a form to make our profiles accessible.
So...one of the things we're required to do is obtain a negative chest x-ray or Tuberculosis titer test. Then we were told to scan our lab report and put it in our profile.
Now, I don't expect that my test will be positive or anything, but I'm not so sure I'm happy about being required to put medical records online where dozens of people I don't know have access to it. Besides, some private information like my address, phone number, and even social security number may be on that lab report. I'm curious if this type thing is covered under HIPAA, I'm not sure they can require that I do this. But, I don't know if it's worth making a fuss over. WWHD? (What would Hatrack do?)
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
I just typed up a detailed response to this and lost it somehow. Sorry.
I would be very hesitant to comply with this requirement. At the very least, I would redact everything on the lab report except my name and a negative result before scanning it in. You are correct that most lab reports have a lot of sensitive information on them.
When being tested for TB in Hawaii, the provider administering the test fills out a card with the patient's name, possibly date of birth, date and result of the test. For an employer, school or other agency to ask for any additional information would be inappropriate (obviously, if the individual's Tine test is positive, there are follow up tests required and sometimes proof of treatment, but that's the exception, and we have ways of handling that without breaching confidentiality as well).
I would certainly recommend that you voice these concerns to your advisor or dean and at the very least, get some reassurance that your information will be protected.
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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posted
Mine got lost, too. I was going to say the same thing-- ask the hospital or lab or doctor for an affadavit stating that you have had a negative test, and nothing else, or edit all information but your name, date, negative result, and providing facility out of the report before posting it.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:But....while LiveText profiles aren't accessible to the general public unless you give them a visitor's login, all the university faculty and adminstrative people in the school of Education can view any UAB student's profile, we had to fill out a form to make our profiles accessible.
Are you sure they actually have access (as opposed to you having given blanket permission, but only Admissions actually has access)? I would verify which is the case.
Because if it really is the former, I think they are in violation of HIPAA (and possibly some other laws/guidelines). But I don't know enough about the details to be sure.
(Admissions personnel have a legitimate need-to-know, because your state almost certainly requires them to verify the TB status of certain groups of students. But faculty in general should not.)
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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rivka, when we signed on to the LiveText service, we were required to fill out some sort of online form that our professor said would give faculty and staff in the education dept access. She stressed this because she was letting us know that anyone outside UAB would need to be given a visitor's pass by us.
And the admissions people for this program ARE faculty. We're interviewed and scored for TEP admission by faculty in the education department.
I know they have a need-to-know, and don't have a problem providing proof of my negative test, I just assumed that the proof would be part of my file and not posted where lots of people have access. And again, I'm not anticipating any problems, it just bothers me.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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quote:I know they have a need-to-know, and don't have a problem providing proof of my negative test, I just assumed that the proof would be part of my file and not posted where lots of people have access. And again, I'm not anticipating any problems, it just bothers me.
First, I'm curious about why they have a need to know. I can imagine that this might be required by an employer or for licensing in a particular state but I'm not sure why it should be required for admission into and educational program. Even if your state requires a TB test for licensure, I can't see this being a requirement for the program since students might choose to obtain their license in a different state or even country. Is this perhaps related to schools requirements for student teachers?
Second, I'm very suprised that such information would be kept on a server of any kind. We are required to keep all confidential student records under lock and key.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
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Rabbit, many states require colleges to obtain proof of immunization or similar medical records as a condition of admission.
(California does not; New York does.)
As for student records being on a server, as long as that server meets certain security guidelines, there is no problem.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Belle: I know they have a need-to-know, and don't have a problem providing proof of my negative test, I just assumed that the proof would be part of my file and not posted where lots of people have access. And again, I'm not anticipating any problems, it just bothers me.
I don't disagree. And I am unconvinced that everyone involved in the admissions process needs the medical info.
Definitely bring up your concerns with your school's admissions office.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Just to be clear, it's not the university admissions office. I'm already admitted to the univerity. It's the education program in the school of education. Not everyone is admitted, and you cannot be admitted until you're at least a junior. The reason why they have these requirements is that once you're admitted to this program, you're required to do observation hours in local classrooms and you are prepared for your student teaching. The TB test is required for those things. I also have to complete a criminal background check before I can be admitted to the education program and a few other things like CPR training as well.
So it has nothing to do with the university admissions office, just the specific rule of the education program. It does not apply to any other major on campus. The only immunization requirement I had to meet to be admitted to the university was an MMR titer, and that was sent directly to the admissions office.
There's an undergraduate forum that is meeting next week where students can bring forth concerns. I can't attend due to my schedule, but you are allowed to anonymously submit suggestions or issues you'd like raised. That may be the right way to address it, and if they do not bring it up (the minutes of the forum will be published) I can address it further after that point.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I understand that it is not regular admissions; the requirement may still be dictated by state law. (Might be useful to find out if it is, or is the school's requirement.)
Raising the issue with the forum sounds like an excellent idea.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
Simple verification online that you have met all of the requirements to do particular work (that is, work which your doing is publically known anyway) = okay
Details of how those requirements were met = generally not okay
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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