How can you change your way of thinking and be constantly aware of the constraints that patient confidentiality places on discussion of patient information?

The only way you can change your thinking process is repetition. Develop a mantra and keep repeating it to yourself. This is true in all things, not just matters related to HIPAA.

HIPAA conformity really is very simple. All you need to remember is never to discuss anything personal or specific. Do this in all things, not just as relates to your patients, and your life will be so much more simplified. One might say easier.

When asked questions regarding patients though, consider who is asking and why they need to know. If the questioner is directly responsible for some aspect of that patient's care, then there are few HIPAA concerns, provided the information they are seeking relates to some responsibility of theirs for patient care.