[Histonet] RE: Two identifiers...

Wed Aug 15 16:49:33 CDT 2012

The de-indentification rules in HIPPA [45 CFR 164.514] stipulate alot of personal information as PHI ( all for electronic media/transmission/retrieval/access etc)  such as "All elements .... directly related to an individual, including names, birth date, admission date,discharge date, date of death, Medical record numbers......" .  I know HIPPA rules go on to more explicit details for encoding and decoding personal information, and specifically stipulate the encryption etc- subjects that I should probably leave to those people who work with this directly.  Anyhow, I have not taken a recent look at the HITECH act so not sure how it plays in to respond here, but I recall that it elaborates further. I don't have a checklist handy,  but I would think that if you use an LIS with a patient data base, electronically send reports, fax reports/requisitions etc, this would mean you have to comply. I guess overall, most places I have worked at have interpreted the protection of PHI strictly to mean all information that relates to the patient identity, and have  kept it as private as possible and restricted it unless you have that all important "need to know". 

Joelle Weaver MAOM, HTL (ASCP) QIHC
 From: joewalker <@t> rrmc.org
To: mike <@t> pathview.com; PAMarcum <@t> uams.edu; Joyce.Weems <@t> emoryhealthcare.org; pathrm35 <@t> comcast.net; tmcnemar <@t> lmhealth.org; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:47:06 +0000
Subject: RE: [Histonet] RE: Two identifiers...
CC: 

First, the two identifier rule applies to specimens arriving into the laboratory. Once you assign a unique lab identifier eg. an accession number, that is all that is required within the laboratory.  This is from the CAP regulations.

Second, ask the lab with the issue, exactly what protected health information is on the slide label? A person's name even DOB is NOT considered protected health information even under the latest HIPAA revisions.

Joe W. Walker, Jr. MS, SCT(ASCP)CM
Anatomical Pathology Manager
Rutland Regional Medical Center
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-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Michael Mihalik
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 1:34 PM
To: 'Marcum, Pamela A'; 'Weems, Joyce K.'; 'Ron'; tmcnemar <@t> lmhealth.org; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] RE: Two identifiers...

While on the subject of identifiers on slide labels, I was wondering if anyone had ever run into a concern regarding patient name on slides that are sent out for further stains, consultation, etc.?

I've run into at least one lab that was concerned that it was a HIPPA/patient confidentiality violation.

Has anyone else run into this issue or given this topic some consideration?

Michael Mihalik
PathView Systems | cell: 214.733.7688 | 800.798.3540 | fax: 952.241.7369

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Marcum, Pamela A
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 1:19 PM
To: 'Weems, Joyce K.'; 'Ron'; tmcnemar <@t> lmhealth.org; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] RE: Two identifiers...

That I don't know as we have barcodes that the information is transferred from on the cassettes.  It contains all of the patient info plus block and date information.    Pam

-----Original Message-----
From: Weems, Joyce K. [mailto:Joyce.Weems <@t> emoryhealthcare.org]
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 11:59 AM
To: 'Ron'; Marcum, Pamela A; tmcnemar <@t> lmhealth.org; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] RE: Two identifiers...

Can a bar code be counted as an identifier?

Joyce Weems
Pathology Manager
678-843-7376 Phone
678-843-7831 Fax
joyce.weems <@t> emoryhealthcare.org

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-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Ron
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 12:39 PM
To: pamarcum <@t> uams.edu; tmcnemar <@t> lmhealth.org; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] RE: Two identifiers...

We do the same as Pam with the patient name and case number

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone

"Marcum, Pamela A" <PAMarcum <@t> uams.edu> wrote:

>We use the specimen or accessioning number and the patient name as the two identifiers and that seems to meet the criteria.  We use the Thermo cassette writer and it transfers the information to the slides.
>
>Pam Marcum
>UAMS
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Tom
>McNemar
>Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 10:03 AM
>To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>Subject: [Histonet] Two identifiers...
>
>Hello all,
>
>For those of you using cassette and slide labelers....
>Does your system permit you to print the accession number, patient name, and  DOB on the face of the cassette?  Are you using the specimen number and name as your two identifiers?
>
>Tom McNemar, HT(ASCP)
>Histology Co-ordinator
>Licking Memorial Health Systems
>(740) 348-4163
>(740) 348-4166
>tmcnemar <@t> lmhealth.org<mailto:tmcnemar <@t> lmhealth.org>
>www.LMHealth.org<file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\TMCNEMAR\Applica
>tion%20Data\Microsoft\Signatures\www.LMHealth.org>
>
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