An elderly patient has approached you in the medical office where you work. He i

Question

An elderly patient has approached you in the medical office where you work. He is very distressed at having to read and sign a HIPAA document. He asks you the following questions. What do you say?

4A. “Why am I getting so many of these privacy notices every time I go into a medical office or hospital? Why can’t you use the one that I signed before for another doctor?”

4B. “Can I see my medical record?”

4C.  “I live with my daughter. Can she see my medical record if she asks for it?”

4D. “I want to file a complaint. Where can I do that?”

Explanation / Answer

4A. According to the HIPAA, the patient gets privacy notices because it is mandatory for the healthcare provider to give such privacy notices. These notices usually will have information related to procedures, etc related to that health care facility. One healthcare provider cannot use the signed document of other healthcare provider because every time the patient presents to a new medical practice or hospital it is mandatory for them to take a signed consent of the patient.

4B. According to HIPAA, YES the patient is authorised to see his/her own medical record but it is ensured that all the HIPPA protocols are followed while granting access to this information.

4C. The patient's daughter is allowed to see his medical record if she asks for it only if the patient has allowed the healthcare provider to do so. Also if the patient is in an emergency situation or is incapacitated due to health condition then consideration is given to professional judgement of the healthcare provider to share the health related information.

4D. If the patient wants to file a complaint then he can file it with the Office of Civil Rights. The OCR investigates any complaints related to covered entities under HIPAA

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse A
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.