Someone overheard us talking about a patient

1. 1

   Report to your manager or privacy officer

   Even if it feels minor, let leadership know. They decide if it must be logged as an incident or breach.

2. 2

   Assess what was heard

   Was it identifiable patient information? Could a stranger understand who the patient was? The more specific, the higher the risk.

3. 3

   Change the environment if needed

   Move sensitive conversations behind closed doors, lower voices at check-in, or add privacy screens.

4. 4

   Retrain staff on verbal privacy

   Short reminders at team meetings often help more than a long policy binder no one reads.

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Not legal advice. Follow your organization's policies and consult counsel for legal questions.