Question

Please respond to ONE of the following prompts.

•How can a staff member ensure confidentiality in clinical settings? What strategies might be implemented by the nurse manager or nurse educator to promote confidentiality? What safeguards can be used to ensure confidentiality when sending medical information by fax or by e-mail?

OR

•Debate both the pros and cons of having individual professional liability insurance.

Answer 1

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed in 1996, which established several privacy rules and regulations for healthcare professionals about the patient confidentially and transferring their information through electronic records.

As per the Right to Notice of Privacy Practices, the patients have the right access, view and obtain a copy of their personal health information. The healthcare professional must inform patients about their privacy rights and how their personal health information (PHI) can be used. Before disclosing the PHI according to the facility’s policy, the patient must sign the Notice of Privacy Practices. Branching the rules of patient confidentiality results in immediate termination of the employee. The patient can access the data for the personal use.

Patients are hesitant to accept EMR system because they think that there will be no control over viewing their health records. But the EMRs are only acceptable with specific passwords and user identification (ID). All employees in a medical facility should not access the patient’s information just because the individual is a patient at the clinic. No one should access the data that is not required for providing patient care. Unnecessary access to healthcare data results in breaching the rule of confidentiality and also leads to patient discrimination. Appropriate measured must be considered when sending the healthcare information through FAX or mails. for example, prior to sending the information, it must be confirmed that the receiver is able to access the fax or mail without involving any second party.