As a wellness professional, you probably have some type of HIPAA training in your back pocket. Working with us—and reading our manual—means you’ve learned what Protected Health Information (PHI) is, and why it’s important.

A wellness event can be a sensitive situation for participants who are concerned about privacy. You can be as well-trained as anyone, and those people will still have concerns.

And rightfully so! Even with the extensive privacy and security training in the market today, there are still some privacy concerns you might be overlooking. Here are some of the most common. Be especially aware of these situations at any wellness event you work. Participant privacy should be a top priority for you.

Facial Expressions                                                                  

A health professional who acts shocked upon reading a health metric is violating the privacy of the participant by visually referring to abnormal numbers. It’s important to avoid these types of reactions.

If you’re worried about keeping a straight face when counseling participants, try placing counseling stations in a secure area. If the space doesn’t allow, be sure you aren’t facing a waiting area or somewhere that will be highly populated during the event.

Exposed Paperwork

At most wellness events, employees will leave with some type of handout explaining their health metrics. That paperwork is theirs to control. The paperwork left on-site, however, needs to be protected. This means not only storing it in a place where it won’t be lost, but storing it so results aren’t exposed to wandering eyes.

One way to address this type of exposure is to store paperwork face down. You can further address the problem by setting aside a table or space that can only be accessed by event staff. If you have the means, you might consider using a folder or box to store completed paperwork.

Potential to be Overheard

Being overheard is a risk at any wellness event. Unfortunately, events done at work aren’t afforded the luxury of private exam rooms like many doctor’s offices. That doesn’t mean you can’t set up a room and maximize the space for privacy, though.

You’ll also need to be mindful of how loud you’re speaking. Yes, you need the participant you’re working with to be able to hear you. But the participant at the next station doesn’t need to hear you. Use an inside voice and communicate with privacy in mind.

Unattended Equipment

Almost all health measurements will be taken using some sort of equipment. The equipment tells you the participant’s results. Unfortunately that means it has the potential to display the results to anyone who looks at it.

A simple way to address this is—again—to think about privacy when preparing the space you’ll use for the event. Be sure you have a room large enough that health equipment can be kept at a safe distance from waiting areas or places where participants might gather.

Identification Confirmation

When dealing with health information it is absolutely vital to confirm the right information is given to the right individual. One way to ensure this is to have a participant confirm their identity.

At TotalWellness, we ask that you confirm participants by making them provide you with at least half of the information. For example, if you’re looking for John Smith in the waiting area, you’ll ask for Mr. Smith and have him provide you with his first name. If he says Steve, you know you have the wrong Mr. Smith.

Speaking Out Loud

We know what you’re thinking. How can you chat with participants without speaking out loud? Obviously speaking is an important part of the interaction. In an ideal wellness situation, though, a health professional would discuss an employee’s health metrics without ever saying his or her results out loud.

Employees are provided handouts that list their health metrics. It’s best to point at numbers and results rather than speaking them out loud. This is one more safeguard against being overheard.

Ultimately, participant privacy should be a top priority at any wellness event you’re chosen to work. While you might think your HIPAA and privacy training are adequate, there are some privacy concerns that can fly under the radar.

Don’t let them.

You know these common privacy concerns, so keep an eye out for them. If there are any we’ve missed, let us know so we can get them added to the list!

Any questions about addressing these privacy concerns at your next wellness event?