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Question

Difficulty: MediumConfidentiality and Information Security

A practical nurse (PN) at an inpatient rehabilitation facility answers a telephone call. The caller identifies themselves as the manager of a local business and asks when their employee, who was recently involved in an accident, will be discharged so they can adjust the upcoming work schedule. The client's medical record does not list this manager as an authorized contact. Which of the following is the appropriate nursing action?

  1. Advise the caller that federal privacy laws prevent the staff from confirming or denying any person's presence at the facility.Answer
  2. B
    Suggest that the manager reach out to the client's designated emergency contact to obtain updates about the hospitalization.
  3. C
    Request that the caller provide the client's date of birth and full name before sharing the anticipated discharge timeline.
  4. D
    Share the estimated discharge date because it is an administrative scheduling detail rather than a protected medical diagnosis.

Answer

Advise the caller that federal privacy laws prevent the staff from confirming or denying any person's presence at the facility.
The correct response protects the individual's privacy by adhering strictly to HIPAA guidelines. By refusing to confirm or deny the person's presence, the nurse prevents any unauthorized disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the caller's relationship to the client and their authorization status in the medical record.
The caller is the client's manager and is not listed as an authorized contact.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations require explicit client authorization before releasing any Protected Health Information (PHI).
2
Determine what information constitutes Protected Health Information (PHI).
The client's presence at the facility and their discharge date are both considered PHI.
PHI includes any information that can identify a client and relates to their past, present, or future physical or mental health condition or provision of healthcare.
3
Select the response that best protects the client's privacy without validating unauthorized assumptions.
The nurse must neither confirm nor deny the client's presence at the facility.
Even acknowledging that a person is a client at the facility is a breach of confidentiality.

Key Concept

Under HIPAA, a nurse must not release any Protected Health Information (PHI)—including confirming or denying a client's admission status—to unauthorized individuals, regardless of their relationship to the client.
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Topics

Confidentiality and Information Security

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