Writer’s choice

You are the Compliance Officer at ABC Medical, a multi-specialty practice. An attorney contacted your office this morning on behalf of the family and is making a formal complaint. They also intend to notify HHS Office of Civil Rights over a HIPAA violation. A recently hired PA, Janet Jones, saw a patient in your office complex last week. Lab work was performed, and the patient was discovered to be HIV positive. PA Jones decided to call the patient’s house. The daughter answered the phone and stated the patient wasn’t home at the time. So, PA Jones proceeded to explain to the daughter the findings and concerns about follow up treatment. PA Jones also went into other unrelated medical matters and discussed those with the daughter as well. In review of the patient’s file in your office, the HIPAA form stated to only contact the patient through the work number, not the home number, and nobody is listed on the form as a permissible HIPAA confidant to be informed of the patient’s medical background.Further, the infectious disease office called and wanted the patient’s labs faxed over. Your office staff receptionist faxes the material as requested but without a cover sheet. However, she inadvertently faxes it to the patient’s work fax number instead of the infectious disease office, disclosing his condition to everyone in the office.Your job is to thoroughly explore all possible violations. You must indicate what policies and procedures should have been in place to prevent this from happening, and what federal statutes/regulations apply here, as well as possible consequences. Also, what remedial actions you will propose to the Office of Civil Rights who is now investigating this, as to how you intend to fix this.Reference less than 5 years old