[Histonet] potential HIPPA issue, would like your opinion

[Rene J Buesa]

Hi Vinnie:
  It was just a delivery form filled by the sending facility and left with the specimen at the lab along with the specimen. What the courier filled was just the ID numbers of the forms left at the lab, when they were delivered and by whom. 
  René J.

"Della Speranza, Vinnie" <dellav <@t> musc.edu> wrote:
        v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}        st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }                Hi Rene,
  Are you referring to the requisition or a different document? The log that we use is in addition to the requisition required for all specimens.
  When  does your delivery person fill in the data on your form, when they pick up the specimen or when it arrives at pathology?
  thanks
   
    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

      
---------------------------------
  
  From: Rene J Buesa [mailto:rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 4:47 PM
To: Della Speranza, Vinnie; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] potential HIPPA issue, would like your opinion

   
    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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