Case Study:
Approach to Ethical Dilemmas
BSHS / 335
May 5, 2014
Stephanie Chupein
ABSTRACT
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) of 1996 is used as a way to promote uniformity in the way the health care industry shares information pertaining to the health, care and services of their patience. The requirements needing to be met to comply with HIPPA laws are pretty direct, but without proper knowledge of them, they can be missed and the consequences can be great.
Will the Real Expert Please Stand Up? (case 13)
Carmen is an education coordinator for a nation-wide health care consulting organization. Part of her responsibilities includes developing educational programs and materials for HIPAA-related issues; including assisting facilities with the development of forms. The following paper will be addressing issues with her son’s pediatrician’s office when, as a parent, she encountered errors in the information she was given by an employee of the office, Jessica, and her reference to HIPAA that was inaccurate.
Carmen and her husband, Alan, both have work schedules that are extremely demanding and require long days; so long that getting into their son’s pediatrician’s office to get a copy of his immunization record they need for kindergarten enrollment that she decides to call and ask they be faxed over. Jessica, an employee of the pediatricians office, answers the phone and when asked by Carmen if it is OK to fax over the release of information form to their office and have them fax the medical records back to her, Jessica replies by telling her they cannot fax information and states this is due to HIPAA law. Carmen starts to explain that it is in fact legal to fax this information and explains her position as an employee of a compliance consulting company who develops training on HIPAA Law, but Jessica sticks to her statement that she cannot due to HIPAA Law.
As she...