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Difficulty: HardConfidentiality and Information Security

During a busy morning on an orthopedic unit, a staff physical therapist sends a text message to a practical nurse's (PN) personal mobile device. The message requests the most recent pain assessment score for a shared client scheduled for imminent therapy. Which response by the PN demonstrates adherence to information security protocols?

  1. Reply stating that client information cannot be shared via personal messaging and direct the therapist to the electronic health record.Answer
  2. B
    Send the numerical pain score only, omitting the client's name from the reply to maintain privacy.
  3. C
    Call the physical therapist's personal phone number to verbally report the assessment instead of replying by text.
  4. D
    Request that the therapist provide their employee identification number via text before sending the pain score.

Answer

The PN must decline to share the information via personal text and direct the physical therapist to access the electronic health record.
The correct action acknowledges that personal mobile devices are not secure, encrypted channels for Protected Health Information (PHI). Even when communicating with authorized internal team members who have a legitimate clinical need for the data, the PN must use facility-approved secure methods or direct the team member to the official medical record.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the requester and the medium of communication.
The requester (physical therapist) is authorized to have the information, but the medium (personal smartphone text message) is not a secure, facility-approved channel.
HIPAA and facility policies govern not just who can receive information, but how it is transmitted.
2
Evaluate the proposed responses against information security protocols.
Any transmission of PHI (written or verbal) over personal devices is a security breach. The only compliant action is to refuse the unsecured transmission.
Personal devices lack the encryption and auditing capabilities required for medical records.
3
Select the action that maintains confidentiality while supporting patient care.
Directing the therapist to the secure electronic health record fulfills both the security requirement and the clinical need.
The PN must act as a gatekeeper for PHI while ensuring authorized team members know where to properly access the data.

Key Concept

Confidentiality and Information Security
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Topics

Confidentiality and Information Security

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