Most of you know Angie’s List as a consumer rating site. They launched as a web portal, rating assorted service providers such as roofers and plumbers. Believing that the practice of medicine is little different than roofing and plumbing, they dipped a toe into rating doctors.
One of our beefs with their system is that doctors are foreclosed from responding to outrageous posts. The reason: federal and state privacy laws. Whereas roofers and plumbers can tell their side of the story, doctors cannot.
Angie’s List has doubled down by offering a service to resolve complaints patients may have with their doctors. This is where the most outrageous HIPAA Release emerges. In an effort “to be fair,” Angie’s List appears to require the full medical record to make its determination. Do you think they have experts from the specialty in question deliberating over the material?
You be the judge. Here’s what at least one member was asked to sign to receive their mediation help.
[My doctor] is hereby authorized to discuss and disclose all protected health information about me in its possession (whether in oral, written, or electronic form) to Angie’s List….
I understand that this includes routine medical treatment information (such as admission records, doctors order sheets, progress and notes, surgical records, laboratory records, and office notes)…
[My doctor is authorized to send] records relating to communicable diseases – which may include hepatitis, sexually-transmitted diseases, H.I.V. and AIDS. …-)…
[My signature also authorizes my doctor] sending records relating to drug or alcohol abuse, or drug or alcohol related diseases (whether or not covered by 42 C.F.R. Part 2), and psychiatric, psychological or counseling records…
And here’s the kicker…
I understand that information that I provide to Angie’s List or information that is used or disclosed in accordance with this Authorization may be used by Angie’s List to provide content for Angie’s List publications such as magazines, websites, or other works…
Angie’s List is asking patients to provide all records, including their status as HIV positive, a history of psychotic break, and before and after pictures of their facelift, to resolve a consumer complaint. Not to miss a marketing opportunity, Angie’s List demands the patient grant permission to use this information as Angie’s List sees fit – including potential posting on their web site and magazine.
You be the judge. Does this sound like a useful “consumer” service or an abusive, shameless marketing operation. Let’s hear from you. Want our humble opinion? Click here, then press the arrow to start the video animation.
not a surprise in this day and age. we can’t talk to another doctor in the patients best interest but broadcasted on the web, well that is open domain. crazy this world. i wish i were a roofer!
I cast my vote for Angie’s List to oversee obamacare! It’s not worht the trouble and risk any longer…
Out of control. When we have “Angie’s List” mediating medical issues and problems, we have a serious problem as a society. I recently attended a conference where they discussed the fact that a huge proportion of older physicians would no longer recommend medicine as a profession to their children. I hate to say it, but when someone asks me about being a doctor, in addition to dealing with everything else, you and your patients have now got to deal with the likes of organizations like this. Everyone wants to make a buck off our disintegrating medical system, in one way or another.
you have to be out of your mind to go into this profession. If I had only known 35 years ago what was to become of medicine. Good luck all you medical students!!!
brad, “I cast my vote for Angie’s List to oversee obamacare!” – wouldn’t that be the fox watching the hen-house?!?
Gene, sadly, we hear that same sentiment from too many physicians. I worry about the health-care system that my children will have as adults.
This was emailed to us from lawyer who asked to remain anonymous
“This was interesting. No matter what the “release” said, if I were a physician I would never send anything to Angie’s List. A physician does not have to send records to someone like Angie’s List even where the patient requests it. If the patient took his own record or requested a copy for himself that is within his rights and what he did thereafter a physician would have no control over.
If this represents Angie’s List’s approach they are just inviting problems for themselves. Once they have the records they have obligations and risks. I wonder what sort of advice their lawyers gave them.”
One is also left wondering if such arbitration is actually binding. Otherwise (and in most states it is not, as a plaintiff cannot sign away right to a trial,) when the patient loses, the trial lawyer could still make the doctor go through the whole thing all over again. Not a good idea at all, IMO.
I agree with the above. I personally would think that releasing records that would be placed in a publicly accessed location like Angie’s List would be a HIPAA violation in and of itself. Either the patient would have to obtain them legally and personally or I would need a court order to do so.
“You know who else wants to take your personal medical information and post it to the Googlywebs?
Hitler.”
There. A post about doctor/patient relationships, a completely unrelated and nonsequitur jab at the President, and now I invoke Godwins Law.
The circle is cimplete.