Match each client information scenario with the appropriate practical nursing determination regarding confidentiality.
- A caller identifying as the client's spouse requests test results but does not know the facility-required security code.Withhold information due to unverified identity.
- A receiving nurse from a rehabilitation facility requests a client's discharge summary to prepare for their upcoming transfer.Disclose information for the purpose of treatment and care coordination.
- Two nursing students are overheard discussing the details of a client's complex wound care while eating lunch in the public cafeteria.Intervene immediately to stop an unauthorized public disclosure.
- A client's adult child requests to read the client's medical record while the client is asleep, without prior written authorization.Deny access due to the absence of documented legal proxy or consent.
Answer
The spouse calling without a code matches with 'Withhold information due to unverified identity'. The rehabilitation nurse requesting a summary matches with 'Disclose information for the purpose of treatment and care coordination'. The students talking in the cafeteria matches with 'Intervene immediately to stop an unauthorized public disclosure'. The adult child wanting to read the record matches with 'Deny access due to the absence of documented legal proxy or consent'.
Each scenario represents a common clinical situation involving protected health information. Correct determinations ensure strict compliance with HIPAA by verifying identity over the phone, allowing necessary continuity of care between facilities, preventing public breaches of privacy, and requiring proper authorization for direct record access.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Permissible vs. Impermissible Disclosures under HIPAA