Discussion of patient information is necessary for treatment reasons.In which of the following situations may one discuss patient information and still maintain appropriate confidentiality of the patient record?
A)A visitor stops at the nursing station and asks the HUC what the diagnosis is for the patient who shares a room with her husband.
B)The HUC meets a staff nurse from another nursing unit in the cafeteria during lunch.The nurse asks about the diagnosis of a celebrity who was just admitted.
C)A police supervisor is on the floor to investigate a police matter and notices that his closest friend was just admitted through the emergency department and is in a coma.This police officer is known to have the highest integrity.He asks the HUC why his friend has been admitted.
D)The nurse has asked the HUC to notify a family in the waiting room that their family member will return from the cath lab within an hour.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The HUC should not discuss general patient information unless directed to do so by the patient's doctor or nurse as in the example given in option d.Often hospital personnel,other patients,visitors,or your own friends,relatives,or neighbors may ask questions regarding a specific patient (especially if the patient is a celebrity)out of curiosity.

Discussion of Patient Information Is Necessary for Treatment Reasons