Pediatric Coding Alert

Everyone in your pediatric practice - coders and physicians included, not just the HIPAA privacy officer - needs to be up to speed on HIPAA compliance. Test your HIPAA knowledge with these questions and answers provided by Teena George, a certified HIPAA specialist and owner of Humboldt Medical Solutions.
 
Question: If patients' parents ask for a copy of their children's records, what should I do?
 Answer: Have the parents complete and sign an authorization form for the release of their medical records. Once this is received, provide them with copies of their records, based on your practice's policies and procedures.
 
Question: What should I do if someone other than the patient, for instance an outside agency, requests a copy of a patient's record?
 
Answer: You should always first determine if there is an established business-associate relationship and formal agreement. If so, follow your practice procedures. If not, investigate why this party needs the record and be sure that the patient is informed.
 
Question: What should I do if I need to discuss a patient and I am in a public area?
 
Answer: Find a private location and lower your voice.
 
Question: What should I do if I must talk with a patient or parent in a semi-private room?
 
Answer: Try to provide as much privacy as possible, including lowering your voice, being discreet, and parti-tioning the room to provide as much privacy as possible.
 
Question: What should I do if I'm in a situation in which others are openly discussing a patient?
 
Answer: Politely remind these parties to respect patient privacy. Also request that they continue their conversation regarding the patient in a private area.  These questions came directly from George's Web site, http://pages.prodigy.net/hummed.