HIPAA And How It Effects Nursing Care Essay

In petition to explain how the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act atomic number 18 touching nursing c are today, the act itself essential be defined. HIPAA is one of the virtually important acts that keep back been passed to encourage unhurrieds concealment and give them earnest. HIPAA secretiveness standards hold some of the most re unforgivingive guidelines in regards to accessing acknowledgeable health entropy and disclosures. The guidelines were set into place to protect the diligent from having their reading disclosed verbally, indite or by electronic transfer (Pozgar, 2012). The Privacy govern is intelligibly defined as HIPAA, which covers the privacy and protection of all health breeding. out search HIPAA m some(prenominal) states had their stimulate standards and guidelines for health circumspection privacy and practice (ANA, 2014).HIPAA has prone us unison and uniformity as a healthcare nation, non except a state. The standards a nd guidelines protecting the privacy of an indivi three-folds health teaching were issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HIPAA 101, 2014). The privacy rule, does allow the use of healthcare development to promote the best grapheme of health care. The rule also protects the confidentiality of the long-suffering. HIPAA also affects the diligents suffer access to their medical records. The individual is often asked to signaling an authorization request form upon admission. The form consists or should include a description of the entropy that is going to be used or disclosed to former(a) reliable individuals in a detailed manner. The thickening should also be given the names of the individual that bequeath urinate access to their identifiable reading. The patient must also be made certified of the fact that he or she has the right to revoke the authorization request at anytime.HIPAA regulations also require that codes be set into place for en coding springy records such as, medical terms and procedure codes (HIPAA 101, 2014). As a nurse working in a infirmary setting, I am aware of the requirements to give patients clear, insightful, written information concerning their Patient Rights and the disclosures of their personal information. Patients are asked to sign a permission form giving us permission to circumstances their information with other healthcare workers. The patients information is exclusively allowed to be shared with the healthcare providers that afford an active role in the clients care. For grammatical case, if a healthcare provider discloses any information about a patient with a nonher person or coworker that has not been authorized by the patient, it is a violation of HIPAA.The Patients amount of Rights was created by the Ameri nooky hospital Association in 1973. It was developed to agree that good viable communication occurs between the patient and the healthcare provider. The charge of Right s entitles the patient to the right to be involved in e rattling conclusiveness about his or her plan of care prior to any treatments and throughout the treatment process. If the patient is competent and has no mental incapacities at their own accord they plenty refuse treatment at any time. every in the end(predicate) patients are to be informed of all of their diagnoses, treatments, and the consequences of those treatments. The Patients report of Rights also gives patients the right to be informed about advance directives. (Pozgar, 2012). thither are ii common types of advance directives, a living entrust or a dual power of attorney.A living will provides outlines about medical treatments. It will give way details about the patients wishes or their refusal of a treatment if they begin incapacitated. A dual power of attorney for healthcare designates a person or persons positive by the client to make healthcare decisions if and when the client is unable to. farm directiv es are used to provide guidance to nurses and other members of the healthcare team. A copy of the advance directive must be placed in the clients medical chart. The physician is notified of the advance directive so that his or her written orders do not coincide with the clients wishes. When disclosing patient information it should be done in a mystic location away from other staff members and patients. The only time that information about a patient whitethorn not be unbroken confidential. Is when the cases involve abuse or a public health happen (Hogan, 2012). Violating the HIPAA guidelines and rules bath Intel extensive consequences, for the healthcare provider, nurse, and the healthcare quickness.The consequences may include termination, suspension, integrity suits, and huge fines for hospital and employee (ANA, 2014). The most resourceful and reliable information can be given by the client or a family member. In order for the most accurate information to be retrieved thither must be trust and respect between the healthcare provider and the patient. Violating HIPAA and its codes could price or destroy the trust between physicians or nurses and the client. If the patient does not provide the physician or nurse with the concise and accurate information about their past and present health, the outcome could be detrimental for the hospital and the patient. For example, if a patient has to have surgery and the anesthesiologist is using demoral to tranquilize the client. The client fails to tell the doctor that he or she is allergic to demoral. The patient experiences anaphylactic shock which is a severe allergic reaction that can cut off the airway completely. Recovery for the patient may or may not be feasible. Good communication between the client and the healthcare providers is needed to sustain life and to save lives. Clients need the certificate that goes along with HIPAA.They need to feel secure in the fact that whatsoever they tell their healthcare provider is secure and confidential. An incident occurred one day as I was working in the emergency dwell area. A patient came in suffering from severe chest pains and I was designated to interview the client and retrieve vital information. All of the routine questions were asked and answered. The last and final question that I approached the client with was his current intake of medicament preferably Viagra. I remember him giving me this look as if he did not understand the words that had just escaped my mouth. Taking into regard that his spouse was present and that she may not be aware of his sweetening drug, she was directed to the lounge for coffee. I asked the client once again Mr. J have you or are you currently taking Viagra. He answered No I am only 45 I have no need for Viagra.My nursing instincts kicked in and his aggressive answers and carcass language made me feel as if he was not creation completely honest with me. At that moment I decided to explain my origining for this line of questioning and the importance of the situation. I informed Mr. J that he was being administered nitroglycerine to help with his angina. Angina is chest pain. Nitroglycerin and Viagra whengiven together can be a vicious combination because they both submit Nitro which dilates your blood vessels. When combined together these both musics can lower your blood pressure to the point that death may occur. I know what you are beting what an awful thing to say, only for some patients the truth in a upfront and nondisclosure way deeds best. Mr. J admitted to using Viagra and precautions were taking to sustain his life. Within 48 hours he was released from the hospital.This scenario was meant to show the importance of patient and healthcare provider information. It is very important that a rapport is made between the client and you. I gauge that violating HIPAA cripples our chance of building and maintaining a bond with the patients. Another example of a way that HI PAA can be ball upd is disclosing information to neighbors and friend that have not been authorized. Home Healthcare workers are faced with this quandary frequently. This scenario refers to a nurse that visits her client twice a week. The client has interpreted ill and is unable to venture out into her yard to work in her tend. The neighbors become worried because Mrs. X is know for being in her garden daily. One day as the nurse was leaving Mrs. X crime syndicate she is approached by her neighbor Mrs. B. Mrs. B asked how is Mrs. X doing these days? The best answer by the nurse would be not to disclose any of Mrs. X information although Mrs. B is just being a concerned neighbor. The nurse replied disclosing any information about Mrs. X is a violation of HIPAA and for that reason I am not inclined to answer your question.HIPAA has strict guidelines that we are to follow even when we are out of the hospital setting. .Healthcare workers have ever so had some sort of privacy guide lines in place to protect the patients privacy. Nurses have always and still are front runners when it comes to maintaining HIPAA and its guidelines. The American Nursing Association has a Code of Ethics that contain statements and requirements that instruct nurses to keep patients information private. Hospitals have implemented different strategies and techniques to ensure that HIPAA is not being violated. In the facility where I work there are strict rules and regulations about disclosing patient information over the phone. The lucky Rule is do not do it. The reason behind this rule is because you never really know who is on the other end of the line. Disclosing health information in this manner can certainly be in violation of HIPAA. Almost all of the charting that nurses do is done on acomputerized system.We must sign in and out each time with our charge user ID and passcode. It is recommended that the password that we choose is difficult to figure out and to substitute the p asscode often. Nurses should never give or share their passcodes with other coworkers. Hospitals are invariably developing ways to increase their security to ensure that a patients medical record is deemed private and remain private. Encryption applied science and software is a great place to start. Computers and laptops, over the years have disappeared from different hospitals. These computers often contain vital patient records. Encryption will allow the hospitals IT management team to ease the minds of concerned individuals by acknowledging that their information is encrypted and not easily accessible. Some hospitals purchase self-encrypted hard drives because they have been known to provide stronger protection (Fields, 2012). The patients chart and any other paperwork that contain their personal information is always place faced round so that it is not viewable by individuals passing by. Another security measure to protect patient privacy is the names on the direction door t hat is no longer permissible.Nurses are required to use two patient identifiers to ensure that the right patient is given the correct medication and before any procedures are done (Hogan, 2012). If a family member or an unknown individual calls the front desk and asks is Jim Jones in the hospital and what room is he in. Nurses are inclined to respond by saying we do not have a Jim Jones. I know it sounds like a little white lie to most, but our first priority is always to our patients. Later, that same individual can call back and say can you connect me to Mr. Jim Jones in room 204 and they will be connected. HIPAA has strict guidelines and as healthcare providers we are required to follow at all times. Nurses are on the frontline when it comes to patient care and privacy. Nurses are advocates for their patients and act and speak for them when they are unable to (Pozgar, 2012). Nurses work with patients and their families every hour of every day.Nurses knowledge and thought of HIPA A is important not only for the patient, but for the facilities that we are working in. To violate HIPAA and its guidelines is to violate our ethics and our patients moral beliefs and trust that they have bestowed upon us. HIPAA is more about nurses and other healthcare providers changing the way they think and act in reference to patients privacy and security. Some may think that improvingtechnology and upgrading their computer software is the ultimate game changer. I believe as nurses, we have a duty to self, job, and patient. Nurses must become innovative when it comes to discussing a patients personal health information. The facility that you currently work in are probably not unforced or able to sound proof every room.Therefore, maybe changing the way we speak or the tone of our voice when discussing sensitive identifiable patient information. It is important to never discuss a clients health information in a hallway, stairwell, elevator, or outside the facility. When attain able try to find a secluded area or room and close the door. These are small and simple adjustments that can make a big impact. Being mindful of the environment that you work in is necessity in order to plan and establish privacy measures for the clients. HIPAA is not in place to define nursing care, but to enhance patient care and trust, to encourage nurses and other healthcare workers to make an effort, to take the initiative, to preserve privacy and integrity of the patients that we serve.Work CitedFields, Rachel. (2012, November, 9) Protecting Patient Data to Protect Your Hospital retrieved February 12, 2014 from http//www.beckershospitalreview.com HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (2014) AMA.assn.org. Retrieved February 22, 2014 from http//www.ama.assn.org HIPAA Privacy Rule and respectfulness (2014, February, 26) hipaa101.com Retrieved February 12, 2014 from http//www.hipaa101.com Hogan, Maryann. (2012) Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX- RN (2nd Edit ion pp, 25 & 272-274) Pearson Education Inc. Pozgar, D. George. (2012) wakeless Aspects of Healthcare Administration (11th edition pp,282-284 and 336-343) Jones & Bartlett Learning