Hipaa and Security Camara's?

Our IT company has won a contract for a new medical office . One of the new issues we are facing is Hipaa Compliance. we have resolved alot of these issues which will change how we install future offices (medical and non) However one issue i have not been able to even find mentioned anywhere relates to Security Camara's. Now i realize it would violate Hippa if i walked into a hosptial and just took a random picture of the ER waiting room. CLEARLY not a good idea. What part does servance camara's play in this? The doctor would like Pan Tilt Zoom camara's all over the office. to me this feels like i'm violating something here. i can't find anything in writting that says "thou shal not install security camara's" Please Give me Links to the Hippa Rule that applies. DR wont care that FuzzySlippers2008 says its not ok. but if i have a link to an offical site that says that then i have something to talk about.
thanks

Thank you all for your comments so far. here is further Info in RE to why this appears to be a violation (atleast to me)

Also your correct that it will only be 2 -6 camara's to monitor the waiting area a few hallways and a backdoor. He is conserned about his girls up front that someone might slip in the back way.

However remember we are not talkinga bout the direct photos of someone. ie. as in an enteroral xray or digital picture of a patient. we are talking about a video camara that records the motion in a hallway or waiting area. Also the data will be sent to a Remote backup Site. it will not remain in the building. its part of his remote backup plan for redundancy.

Insurance is a great idea. they would have a better idea i'm sure. though i dont want to ask them and then the rates double.

http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/p...

http://med.stanford.edu/shs/update/archi...

There is nothing in the HIPAA law that indicates that it is illegal to install security cameras, as long as they are not in the examination rooms or aimed directly at any computers or desks. This would also not be an issue as long as the camera's feed (tape) does not leave the confines of the doctor's office.

The idea here is to keep people's information confidential. So as long as the camera is not recording personal health information, I don't see a problem. Going to the doctor's office is not protected information. However a copy of the chart would be. So the cameras should not be recording insurance info, health info and that sort of thing.

So if the doctor wants to record what happens in the waiting room, halls and other public areas that is fine. Any cameras in the exam rooms, labs or other areas where personal health information is gathered or stored would not be okay.

The best thing to do would be have the doctor consult his insurance provider regarding this. They will be better suited to assist as they would be paying for a violation.

"Now i realize it would violate Hippa if i walked into a hosptial and just took a random picture of the ER waiting room."

Really? Where do you get that idea from?

You're an IT guy. You're not a healthcare provider, an insurer, co-payer, or an employer that provides medical coverage. I see no possible way to stretch HIPAA to apply to you WHATEVER you do.

Even if you were covered by HIPAA - let's say you are the ER doctor - I can't think of any provision of HIPAA you'd violate by taking an ER picture. Such a picture would not contain any "Protected Health Information" covered by the act.

Now, let's say you walk over to Mrs Smith and take a photo of her completed medical history form. That *does* include PHI, so it is covered by HIPAA. That doesn't mean you can't take the picture, though, it just means you now have an obligation to protect that photo the same way you're going to protect the form itself.

Richard