The nurse in charge of the quality department is reviewing cases regarding HIPAA compliance. In which cases does the nurse correctly determine that HIPAA standards were followed? Select all that apply

Question

A) A child is diagnosed with an inner ear infection and follow-up care instructions are given to the child's aunt, who provides a medical consent form from the parents, who are on vacation.
B) The emergency department nurse manager reports the suspicion of abuse to the child welfare department for a child admitted with suspicious injuries.
C) The grandparents of a child ask the nurse on the medical floor when their grandchild will be released home to the parents.
D) The physician reports the diagnosis of hepatitis C of a 14-year-old, who is abusing injectable drugs, to the health department.
E) The nurse manager tells the superintendent of schools that a high school student is infected with HIV so that proper precautions can be implemented in the school.

Answer 1

Ans: A, B, D
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 addresses security and privacy issues involving health information about individuals. Information can be shared with the client's aunt because medical consent has been granted by the legal parents. An exception to the rule is the requirement to report suspected physical or sexual abuse of a child. In addition, public health laws require reporting certain infectious diseases, such as hepatitis C. The nurse should not provide information to the grandparents without written consent from the legal parents or guardian, nor should the nurse discuss a client's health with the school superintendent. This information should be shared only with local health department.