Orthodontist questions - HIPAA, talking to ortho, etc

DS1 saw an orthodontist for a couple years. Every visit, the ortho called me back out of the waiting room to update me on the treatment.

DD sees a different orthodontist and is in braces. I have had no contact with the orthodontist himself in about 18 months when we did the initial consult. The assistants come out to the waiting room and give me updates there. I feel like this must violate privacy laws, but maybe not? I've googled without luck. Today, I learned about one boy's sensitive back molar and that they removed his molar spacers. And another boy needs to work on his brushing and flossing, got a stronger wire on top, and new rubber bands to use. Nothing earth shattering of course, but it's weird to me that they do this in the very small waiting room.

So, which is more common? Did I have the exception first with the privacy and orthodontist doing the talking? Or is the current one the exception?

Our pediatric dentist always comes to the waiting room to find us and talks there. Never thought a thing of it.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains

The ortho office I went to and DS4 will go see has 5 chairs in a row in her clinic area. So discussing treatment of ortho wouldn't be private even in the back and I know she doesnt have time to take each person in her office.

My kids' ortho discusses it while in their cubicle--I can overhear what is going on in other cubicles if I listen. Maybe dentistry isn't the same when it comes to HIPAA?? I don't know.

Our Ortho comes to the waiting room to give us the quick summary/updates. I am not called into any room or private area for this ever.

I actually asked about this. The ortho community decided it is not a HIPPA violation, supposedly had lawyers look at it, because they are not using patients first and last names and not disclosing protected information. It is also written in the privacy paperwork you sign.

I know in my practice I would never consider doing this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JBaxter

The ortho office I went to and DS4 will go see has 5 chairs in a row in her clinic area. So discussing treatment of ortho wouldn't be private even in the back and I know she doesnt have time to take each person in her office.

---

Same here. At our practice, parents can still go back and they usually give the rundown while the kid is still in the chair.

So it sounds like you all talk to the ortho? I only know he's in the building because DD says "the guy" tells "the girls" what to do at each visit. I don't even see him walking around or anything.

They don't use her name in the waiting room I guess, but we know many of the people there. It's not a big area, so there are always classmates we know there. It's the age of braces :)

The place DS1 went to would just have me come back behind the door that leads from the waiting room to the hallway to the treatment rooms. The office staff would be there at the desk, but otherwise it was fairly private.

I guess it just seems odd to me to never hear from the actual ortho about how it's going.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KrisM

So it sounds like you all talk to the ortho? I only know he's in the building because DD says "the guy" tells "the girls" what to do at each visit. I don't even see him walking around or anything.

They don't use her name in the waiting room I guess, but we know many of the people there. It's not a big area, so there are always classmates we know there. It's the age of braces :)

The place DS1 went to would just have me come back behind the door that leads from the waiting room to the hallway to the treatment rooms. The office staff would be there at the desk, but otherwise it was fairly private.

I guess it just seems odd to me to never hear from the actual ortho about how it's going.

---

DS is currently in a holding pattern. We just went a few weeks ago and I expected him or one of his assistants to at least come out and tell me where we stood in the process. Nope, DS relayed what he could remember and then the secretary checking me out told me he still had a few teeth to lose and to come back in 6 months. I was a bit annoyed because I would have liked to ask what the next step was once those teeth did come out.

Even when getting treatment the five or six chairs are all in one room. Consultations, looking at x-rays, and longer talks are in a private office.

There's a "visitor" chair at each exam station. If it is a longer appointment, I'll go back and sit with my kid. Most of the time I stay in the waiting room. It's 50/50 for ortho doc or assistant to discuss status either at the chair or in the waiting room.