medical law project
Unit 8 Project Questions: Part I
1. Under HIPAA, are you legally allowed to view this patient’s medical information? Why or why not?
Under HIPAA you are not legally allowed to view a patients medical information unless you have written consent, but because he just had outpatient surgery and signed a HIPAA release of information form so you are able to view his information.
2. In this case, how would you be able to correct your error and provide the missing documents to the patient while still protecting patient confidentiality under HIPAA?
I would contact the patient by phone, mail or email. What ever way he wanted to be contacted in his file that’s how I would contact the patient. I would ask him if he wanted to come in and pick up his prescription and treatment papers or call his pharmacy and mail his treatment papers in the mail to the address of his choice and explain to him what to do as his treatment papers say if they was coming through the mail.
3. Besides a HIPAA Patient Release of Information form, list 4 other items that are found in the medical record.
The 4 other things found in a medical record is 1- patients complete name, address, phone numbers, social security number and other important information.
2- the doctors notes and diagnosis and treatment information. 3- laboratory test results. 4- family medical history.
4. Legally, does the patient or the physician/healthcare facility own the medical record? Why?
State statutes may establish who owns the medical records. In most states, the general rule is that the physician or owners of a healthcare facility, such as a hospital, own the medical records, but patients have the legal right of privileged communication (confidential information told to their physician) and access to their records. Therefore, patients must authorize release of their records in writing.
5. List 3 ways patient confidentiality is maintained in the reception/waiting area of a
1. Under HIPAA, are you legally allowed to view this patient’s medical information? Why or why not?
Under HIPAA you are not legally allowed to view a patients medical information unless you have written consent, but because he just had outpatient surgery and signed a HIPAA release of information form so you are able to view his information.
2. In this case, how would you be able to correct your error and provide the missing documents to the patient while still protecting patient confidentiality under HIPAA?
I would contact the patient by phone, mail or email. What ever way he wanted to be contacted in his file that’s how I would contact the patient. I would ask him if he wanted to come in and pick up his prescription and treatment papers or call his pharmacy and mail his treatment papers in the mail to the address of his choice and explain to him what to do as his treatment papers say if they was coming through the mail.
3. Besides a HIPAA Patient Release of Information form, list 4 other items that are found in the medical record.
The 4 other things found in a medical record is 1- patients complete name, address, phone numbers, social security number and other important information.
2- the doctors notes and diagnosis and treatment information. 3- laboratory test results. 4- family medical history.
4. Legally, does the patient or the physician/healthcare facility own the medical record? Why?
State statutes may establish who owns the medical records. In most states, the general rule is that the physician or owners of a healthcare facility, such as a hospital, own the medical records, but patients have the legal right of privileged communication (confidential information told to their physician) and access to their records. Therefore, patients must authorize release of their records in writing.
5. List 3 ways patient confidentiality is maintained in the reception/waiting area of a
References: All information found was from the digital book used in Course HS101 from Kaplan University. Title: Medical Law and Ethics