Personal Autonomy & Vaccine Related Issues in the Age of COVID
We are getting lots of questions and hearing lots of concerns from our insureds about dealing with the vaccination issues related to COVID. We are not going to address the issue of "shedding" or expelling of spike protein from vaccinated individuals - researchers are sorting that out and there is enough in the literature for doctors to make an informed decision.
What we want to stress is: PERSONAL AUTONOMY.
Just like your patients, you have fundamental rights as a free human being to make decisions involving your health. If you feel that caring for someone puts you, your staff or your other patients at risk then you have the right to refer that person elsewhere. Similarly, if you believe there is a risk and choose to care for that person regardless - that is also your prerogative.
The same holds true in regards to your personal health information. Absent a federal, state or local mandate - the decision to reveal your vaccination status to your patients is YOUR decision. The decision for your staff to reveal their status is THIER decision. Do not mistake a patient asking your status as a HIPAA violation - it is not. HIPAA has to do with unauthorized disclosures of protected health information. Asking someone their status is not a violation.
What we have stressed from the beginning of this is for you to be clear on your office POLICY and to be clear with patients BEFORE they show up in your office. Whether that is related to masks, distancing, cleaning or now with vaccinations. Complaints arise when patients show up at your office uninformed about your policies.
We have also stressed that it is imperative that you be aware of your state and local mandates as well as those of your chiropractic board. Chiropractic boards have demonstrated a range of attitudes regarding COVID related regulations everywhere from from a hands off attitude to one of militancy. Please be very clear on where your board stands as you tweak your policies to keep up with the changes.
