Pheona, a medical assistant, has entered a room to draw a blood specimen for VDRL and Hep C. The patient is sitting in bed. His wife is also in the room. After introducing herself and correctly identifying the patient, the patients' wife asks, "Oh is this for the tests the doctor mentioned earlier, what was the name of the tests?" How should Pheona respond?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Pheona's best response is one that protects her patients' right of confidentiality, without being impolite to her patients' spouse. Pheona is in a very sensitive situation, and should keep in mind her priority is to ensure the patients' confidentiality. The Patients' Bill of Rights requires healthcare workers to protect the patients' confidentiality by not openly discussing patients, their condition, or sensitive information without permission from the patient.

Pheona, a Medical Assistant, Has Entered a Room to Draw