https://sadesing.github.io/tags/phi/Recent content in PHI on SadeHugoen-usSun, 18 Jan 2026 20:38:51 -0500https://sadesing.github.io/posts/when-a-name-reveals-too-much/Sun, 18 Jan 2026 20:38:51 -0500https://sadesing.github.io/posts/when-a-name-reveals-too-much/<p>A court case about a patient’s roommate ended up teaching me more about privacy than I expected.</p> <p>The case was <em>Rogers v. NYU Hospitals Center</em>. A hospital released the name of a patient’s roommate and someone questioned whether this violated HIPAA. The name came up during a legal proceeding and the patient argued it should have been protected. The court disagreed, noting that the name alone did not reveal any medical diagnosis or treatment. A wide range of rehabilitative services were offered at Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, so knowing someone was there didn’t tell you anything about their condition. A name by itself wasn’t protected health information in this situation.</p>