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Prior to leaving the office Jenna made it clear that she didn’t want her reason for her visit disclosed to anyone and had her insurance record mailed to her dorm address for extra precaution. The physician and billing office didn’t violate her privacy as they didn’t provide a diagnosis for her visit or further details. Although, they should have never confirmed with the mother that she had an appointment in the first place for the mother. Disclosing PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment for healthcare, or healthcare operations (and limited other cases) is a HIPAA violation if authorization has not been received from the patient in advance (Journal, 2021). The mother is not entitled to that information, because her daughter didn’t have her as an authorized individual in which they can disclose the information. An authorization form is signed by the patient consenting the listed individuals on the document having access to their protected health information. Jenna shouldn’t be able to sue, because she didn’t disclose anything about Jenna’s visit or the outcome of her visit and remained silent when pressed for other answers. The mother legally doesn’t have right for access to Jenna’s healthcare inquire made, because she may be under her plan it is seen as an individuals plan. Therefore, her mother isn’t under the jurisdiction to sue, but can ask her daughter as to why the claim was made.
The office should reform the security standards in protecting patient information between family members and review the different types of violations of HIPAA. Review administrative safeguards on patient file such as; authorization form which allow the team to check if individuals were allowed access of PHI by patient, passwords for laptops and files, and workspace security. Review the importance of notifying patients whose PHI has been breached promptly and filing a report rather than waiting(“Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act”, 2011).
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act. (2011). NASN School Nurse, 26(1), 48-48. doi: 10.1177/1942602×10390377
Journal, H. (2021). The Most Common HIPAA Violations You Should Be Aware Of. Retrieved 1 February 2021, from https://www.hipaajournal.com/common-hipaa-violations/
