Question

Most patients today have answering machines and voicemail. Many times you will need to leave a message for the patient or a fax for a patient referral. You must always remember patient confidentiality. Answer the questions below:

Part 1: Describe the guidelines for leaving a message on a patient’s voicemail and how these guidelines maintain patient confidentiality. What would you do as a medical office assistant using a fax in the clinic? How could you protect patient confidentiality?

Part 2: You need to get in touch with a patient on an urgent basis but all you get is the answering machine that only gives the patient’s phone number. What would you do?

Part 3: Many phones have call display. You have called Mr. Baxter’s home but the call went to the answering machine, which only identified the telephone number. You did not leave a message but his wife saw your number on the call display and is calling to see what the call was about. How would you respond?

Answer 1

1) The five ways to ensure confidentiality when leaving a message in a voicemail system :-

1. do not reveal any type of procedure or patients medical problems

2. ask the patient to contact the office

3. assign a personal ID code known only to the patient and office/clinic

4. have the patient sign an authorization to release electronic transfer of information

5. utilize a special telephone number given to a patient to receive test results

#. Medical assistant should follow the Security measure while using the fax . It includes :-

having a signed form authoring the release of PHI before releasing the information, faxed messages should only be sent to telecopiers that are located in a secure area, and always recheck before sending the fax that the correct telephone number was selected and entered correctly

#. Ways to protect patient confidentiality :-

Record and use only the information necessary.

Access only the information you need.

Keep information and records physically and electronically secure and confidential .

Following HIPAA security measures :-

A firewall to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing your network and data.

A spam filter to block malicious emails and malware.

An antivirus solution to block and detect malware on your system.

A web filter to prevent employees from accessing malicious websites.

2) In that case either I would send a message that will be recorded in the answering machine of the patient or call the patient again .

3) First of all , I will provide her the information why I was calling her and then explain her that I was calling to Baxter's home but it got redirected to answering machine .