The feds have issued guidance on the interplay of two complicated laws enacted by Congress in the name of privacy, FERPA (college students) and HIPAA (medical information). The intersection between the two was the subject of considerable attention at the time of the Virginia Tech massacre, carried out by a mentally disturbed student whose deteriorating condition had been kept a secret from many interested parties because of the laws. [HIPAA Blog]
One Comment
I read the guidnace statement and am more confused than ever. HIPPA continues to be this complex thing that seems to inter-twine itself in the myriad of medical paperwork that no one seems to understand. FERPA is just as bad and even less understood. I guess they have been good for attorneys because our hopsitals keel having to hire legal consultants to figure out just what they have to do to comply with HIPPA and FERPA (University medical center),