Notice of Privacy Act Question

[Dustdevil]

Never run into the problem of them wanting to read the back, as they are not signing anything on the back.

I'm a little surprised this has never come up before if you are routinely forbidding people from reading the document they are signing.

I'd be interested in reading exactly what it is that they are signing on the back. Can you quote it here for us? I would think that statement would make a very big difference on how comfortable people are signing it.

[tskstorm]

I'm a little surprised this has never come up before if you are routinely forbidding people from reading the document they are signing.

I'd be interested in reading exactly what it is that they are signing on the back. Can you quote it here for us? I would think that statement would make a very big difference on how comfortable people are signing it.

I don't want to quote it, don't want any company wig reading this and well you get the picture.

Basically its a privacy, and assignment agreement. It states that you are authorizing us to make inquiries, and give information to your insurance, the hospital, and health care providers. It then states that they acknowledge receipt of the company privacy's practices, and how we might use their protected medical information. Most part, we speak the policy, for those that want more we have a paper copy of a lot of fine print.

On the bottom of the paragraph, we also have the options for, patient unable and patient refused. and a small line to explain.

Now that I've said that I have never disallowed family from reading anything, I haven't seen them do anything more then a glance on the back.

[katbemeEMT-B]

Our HIPAA form that the patient or patient representative signs is a separate form from our PCR. It contains the patients name, address, and PCR number on the side of the form that is torn off for our records and the other side contains the legal information including how the patient can obtain his/her PCR information and their rights on the other side which is given to them. They never see the PCR. We have never had any problems with a patient or a patient representative refusing to sign.

If they refuse to sign, note it on the HIPAA and also in your narrative.

[Ruready4disaster]

Our HIPPA from is on a seperate document than our PCR. No-one should have to look at a PCR to understand HIPPA that is two seperate documents and i would NEVER show a PCR to anyone other than the PT. I dont understand how someone needs to read a PCR to understand HIPPA.

[katbemeEMT-B]

What we have to remember as patient advocates (that's what we are), is that ANYTHING written on our PCR is private information and can only be shared with those people that are directly involved in the care of the patient, our boss, and state licensing board for monitoring purposes, and of course ourselves as the health care attendants that cared for the patient and wrote the report. Anyone else who wants to see this report must follow the steps outlined by HIPAA. It will then be determined if they have this right or not. This is a Federal Law and the ramifications are not worth divulging what should be kept to one's self.

An example, the part-time job I work at uses the ToughBox for writing PCRs and file them online with I believe Image Trend software (don't take my word for it on the software program). Anyway, We have the ability to log on and pull up any PCR that has been written out of our station. Sounds great huh? It is as long as we have done the proper paper work and can provide a proper excuse for doing so. An employee recently did so to gain access on a patient for a friend. Well, said employee received a suspension and ALL employees were put on notice. This software tracks who accesses the reports and compares it to unauthorized entries. It's a great way to ensure that privacy is kept private.

[JakeEMTP]

We also use the the toughbook. Once we finish our report and printed at the hospital, it is synched and is no longer on our 'puter.

We explain to the patient or family member what they are signing and if they require a copy we will be glad to print one for them.

[CBEMT]

Can't say I've ever run into this problem, because I've never been provided with a form for anyone to sign in regards to HIPAA.

The private I used to work for had copies of our policy sitting in a box near the rest of our paperwork that crews stock up on, but only the real vets know that at one point, we were told we had to hand them out. But there was no where for anyone to sign.

That lasted about 2 weeks, until we realized that about 50 to 75% of our client base was getting multiple copies each week. So everyone stopped handing them out. And no one ever told us to start up again.

I can't say I've ever seen any other service in this state give any patient a HIPAA form, much less make them sign for it.

[katbemeEMT-B]

Can't say I've ever run into this problem, because I've never been provided with a form for anyone to sign in regards to HIPAA.

The private I used to work for had copies of our policy sitting in a box near the rest of our paperwork that crews stock up on, but only the real vets know that at one point, we were told we had to hand them out. But there was no where for anyone to sign.

That lasted about 2 weeks, until we realized that about 50 to 75% of our client base was getting multiple copies each week. So everyone stopped handing them out. And no one ever told us to start up again.

I can't say I've ever seen any other service in this state give any patient a HIPAA form, much less make them sign for it.

So, your patient doesn't sign ANYTHING? There is nothing for them to sign on the PCR? According to the HIPAA education we had to go through, they must be informed of their privacy rights and sign off that they were informed whether it is a separate form or on your PCR. You may want to check on that. It could be a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[CBEMT]

So, your patient doesn't sign ANYTHING? There is nothing for them to sign on the PCR? According to the HIPAA education we had to go through, they must be informed of their privacy rights and sign off that they were informed whether it is a separate form or on your PCR. You may want to check on that. It could be a lawsuit waiting to happen.

At the private, there is a line for patient signature, but on ours it says "Authorized signature." Probably 50-75% of the patient base is unable- either physically or mentally- to sign for themselves. The facility staff typically sign.

On the state ER form there is nowhere for the patient to sign, just the receiving staff.

[NYC-EMS]

The first thing you can say about HIPPA to a pt is........THIS IS NOT FOR BILLING PURPOSES this is a document ect ect ect.

People in the hood want to know how much is this goanna cost!

Try this approach next time....Did you know you had medical rights?Would you like me to tell you what I know? ect ect ect.