Discernment Case Study

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1. Imagine that you take a call about a patient (you are a health services administrator) and a lady claiming to be his (the patient 's) daughter calls on the phone to see how the patient is and what is going on with him. The patient in this scenario is asleep. What do you say? Explain your answer. In this case scenario I’m sure there are security questions I must ask. The most information if possible to share would that the patient is unavailable or indisposed at the moment, and that the patient is stable or unstable. Giving any more information would be a breach in contract through several acts. “A contract is a special kind of agreement either written, or oral, that involves legally binding obligations” (Pozgar, 2016, pg. 217). By providing …show more content…

Even though it is your father legally for the sake of your job you cannot, but ethically it is troubling to keep something this urgent from a relative. An important ability to have during situations similar to this is discernment. “Discernment is the ability to make a good decision without personal biases, fears, and undue influences from others” (Pozgar, 2016, pg. 36). 4. A baby is brought into the emergency room. It is obvious that the baby has been physically abused. There are cigarette burns and bruises all over its body. The hospital is swarming with media. A reporter has asked you a health services administrator, for details. What do you do (you are an allied health professional)? Explain your answer. Being a health services administrator under an oath that I have taken and under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, I may not comment on the current situation. “HIPAA was designed to protect the privacy, confidentiality and security of patient information” (Pozgar, 2016, pg. 245). Allowing for any of this information to come out would just give media a story in which they will most likely slander anyone in sight. 5. A patient asks you about her treatment (your are a health services administrator). She wants to know how long the treatment will take and if there are any side effects. What do you do? Explain your …show more content…

You see a co-worker at the supermarket (you are a health services administrator). She wants to talk about a particularly difficult patient. She is being very specific, using the patient 's name and condition. She even goes as far as to say what a nuisance this patient is because the patient is so demanding. What do you do? Explain your answer. First state that it is important to remember HIPAA, it is important to remember the law mandates one is to conform regulations. The fact that the co-worker in general is complaining about this patient to you is against HIPAA and the fact that is in public with others being able to listen or catch on is wrong. In our notes it clearly states that privacy standards apply to all and states that patient’s information should not be hallway conversation. 7. You work in the admitting department of the hospital. A friend who works in the ER tells you that she just saw a famous movie star get on the elevator with some men who looked like bodyguards. Your fiend is curious about this famous person. She read in the paper that the actress has cancer. Your friend asks you to find out what floor the star is on. What do you do? Explain your

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