I work in IT for some departments which handle HIPAA data at my job, so we’re required to take HIPAA training each year. One section of the training mentions that there are some conditions which have an additional layer of laws and protections around them, and medical providers, people who interact with patient data, etc are asked to be extra cautious about potentially revealing that a patient has them. Most of these conditions were things which have established social stigmas, such as STDs and whether or not someone is HIV positive. However, the last condition on the list was Sickle Cell Anemia. I’m not personally aware of any social stigma attached to any kind of anemia, so this struck me as odd. I assume I’m missing some cultural history or awareness here. Thanks in advance everyone!
In: 4
Sickle cell anemia is more common in black people (it’s a byproduct of a gene that makes you more malaria resistant, which for obvious reason is more common among people of African descent), so my guess is just that any disease coupled to something like race that you could potentially be discriminated over is extra restriced.
Latest Answers