A practical nurse (PN) working in a long-term care facility is participating in an annual HIPAA compliance workshop. The educator presents several recent communication events. Match each communication event with the correct determination regarding the disclosure of protected health information (PHI).
- Reporting a newly diagnosed case of active tuberculosis to the local county health department.Mandatory public health disclosure
- Leaving a detailed voicemail containing a client's recent laboratory results on a shared home answering machine.Unauthorized privacy violation
- Sharing a client's morning assessment findings with the physical therapist assigned to the client's case.Treatment and care coordination disclosure
- Confirming a client's room number to a visiting pastor after verifying the client did not opt out of the facility roster.Authorized directory disclosure
Answer
Reporting tuberculosis matches Mandatory public health disclosure; leaving a detailed voicemail matches Unauthorized privacy violation; sharing findings with the physical therapist matches Treatment and care coordination disclosure; confirming a room number to a pastor matches Authorized directory disclosure.
Understanding confidentiality requires recognizing the legal boundaries of PHI disclosure. Public health reporting of infectious diseases is mandated by law. Direct care coordination among interdisciplinary team members is permitted for safe client care. Facility directories are permitted unless the client opts out. Conversely, leaving detailed clinical information on a medium accessible to others, like a shared answering machine, is a direct privacy violation.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Under HIPAA, nurses must distinguish between unauthorized disclosures and legally permitted exceptions such as treatment coordination, facility directories, and mandatory public health reporting.
Estimated Time:1m 30s