Legal Issue (Patient Privacy)

[n5iln]

Exactly, thanks to the new laws, it's all a gray area. Our policy is to turf to the supervisor. Works pretty good for us.

Good policy. That's why the supervisors make the big bucks, right?

I looked up the written policy for my service (which I just got handed today), and found that we can give the cops info if the patient is a crime victim, including child or elder abuse or domestic violence. Or we can give the cops a physical description of the patient if they are trying to identify a suspect, material witness or missing person. Anything at all beyond those uses and they have to subpoena the PCR. In fact, here's a direct quote from the policy: "Do NOT give law enforcement any...information when the sole purpose of the requiest is to assist law enforcement with their investigation or to help build a case against a suspect."

Just my two cents' worth...save up the change for a root beer or something...

[RiderRob89]

I looked up the written policy for my service (which I just got handed today), and found that we can give the cops info if the patient is a crime victim, including child or elder abuse or domestic violence. Or we can give the cops a physical description of the patient if they are trying to identify a suspect, material witness or missing person. Anything at all beyond those uses and they have to subpoena the PCR. In fact, here's a direct quote from the policy: "Do NOT give law enforcement any...information when the sole purpose of the requiest is to assist law enforcement with their investigation or to help build a case against a suspect."

that pretty much sums it up