Dr. Jimmy Hoppers, who is behind a patient privacy complaint to the Tennessee Department of Health, is asking the state to publicly announce its position on whether it will no longer require physicians to report detailed information about patients who test negative for COVID-19.
“We have had conflicting emails that the state health department has dropped the requirement, and we appreciate the state looking into this,” said Hoppers, “However, a casual email does not carry the force of law. We need the state to publicly announce its new position so physicians, patients and local health departments clearly understand that it will no longer require any personal information about patients who test negative for COVID-19.
“Anything short of that is just words.”
Hoppers owns Physicians Quality Care, which has clinics in Jackson and Milan.
He received a directive last week from the state health department to send detailed information about patients who tested negative for the virus. The information included the patient’s name, address, phone number, birth date, race and sex.
Hoppers response to the request was to publicly announce that he “respectfully” declines to send the state the information it wants.
“The request is a fundamental invasion of a patient’s privacy,” he said, “The state has no right and no legitimate or compelling medical reason to get this information about patients who are merely seeking medical care. The reporting of negative test results without the patient’s consent is a clear violation of HIPAA statutes and individual rights.”
It could also deter people from getting tested for COVID-19, he said, adding Physicians Quality Care will, of course, continue to provide data on all positive COVID-19 cases, Hoppers added. And, it can provide the state with the number of negative test results so the state can determine positivity rates.
“However, if the patient doesn’t have the disease, is not contagious, and therefore obviously presents no danger to the ‘public health and safety,’ what right does the Health Department have to invade that patient’s privacy? What does it plan to do with this data? Who will have access?”
Hoppers is encouraging people to contact their local county health departments and state representatives about the issue.
Physicians Quality Care, located on Pleasant Plains Extended in Jackson and South First Street in Milan, offers urgent care and primary care. It is open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, visit physiciansqualitycare.com.
