[Histonet] potential HIPPA issue, would like your opinion

[Rene J Buesa]

We used a SINGLE form per patient that was deposited in a box. The delivery person filled the data in the form and placed it in the box, inaccessible to the next courier.
  René J.

"Della Speranza, Vinnie" <dellav <@t> musc.edu> wrote:
  Couriers delivering surgical or biopsy samples to our laboratory are asked to log in each sample they are delivering in a written record contained on a clipboard at the pathology receiving window at our facility. This occurs before any pathology staff actually accession the specimen and allows for an independent record completed by the courier of exactly what was delivered.

An individual has contacted our Compliance office out of concern that because the record includes the patient's name, as well as other info including specimen, date, name of courier, etc, this information would be seen by subsequent couriers logging into this record.

The record I'm referring to has on occasion assisted us in investigating when a clinician is looking for a report and we discover that the specimen was not received. Between our record and those maintained in the OR, for example, we can piece together the circumstances if need be.

I hope that some of you will share the process you use, especially if your procedure might be more effective in maintaining the privacy of the patient.


Vinnie Della Speranza
Manager for Anatomic Pathology Services
Medical University of South Carolina
165 Ashley Avenue Suite 309
Charleston, South Carolina 29425
Ph: (843) 792-6353
Fax: (843) 792-8974



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