Hippa form

[mitllesmertz1]

Anyone use a form or something to get follow up info on a pt?
For example, if you drop someone off at the ED, and the next day you wanna call the ICU to check on final diagnosis.

To fend off the HIPPA demons, does anyone have a standard, "allow Anytown FD to discuss pt (blank)'s treatment and diagnosis"?

Looking for something I can plagarize to an extent, or any good ideas.

Thanks

[mtfdemscaptain]

We have our department medical director, who is also our sponsor hospital's medical control physician, look up patient info for us if we transport to that hospital. We used to place a copy of the run report in a locked box and he would take it and follow up. Now, my Paramedics ask me to get a follow up and I will contact him. If the patient is transported to another local hospital, I contact that hospital's Pre-hospital Care Coordinator and he will get me the info. We do not have a form but getting the info is allowed under HIPAA as part of a QA Program (health care operations).

It seems you should have a predefined QA person to get the follow up so everyone doesn't call around the hospital(s). The hospital(s) might be more receptive that way and not be paranoid about security issues. I am not sure how your EMS System is set up but if you consult your medical director and the hospital, they should be able to come to an agreement on how this can be done. It works great with our QA program because we meet every other month and our MD gets copies of CT's, x-rays, diagnoses, etc. and we review our EMS reports and the supporting hospital info on Powerpoint in peer review sessions.

[algoma44]

because HIPAA is so touchy these days, you may want to try another route to find out information.. just a suggestion, but with my dept. if there is a patient we want to figure out an outcome, we have our medical director give a call to the hospital and then we discuss this during run reviews.. it may take a few more days to get results, but then you don't have to deal with the legwork

[DeputyMarshal]

if there is a patient we want to figure out an outcome,

FWIW, I don't think that you're technically entitled to that information on an individual patient.

we have our medical director give a call to the hospital and then we discuss this during run reviews..

Run reviews and QA are designed to review treatment during the time you are caring for the patient. What happens to the patient after leaving your care starts to become a privacy issue.

[croaker260]

FWIW, I don't think that you're technically entitled to that information on an individual patient.



Run reviews and QA are designed to review treatment during the time you are caring for the patient. What happens to the patient after leaving your care starts to become a privacy issue.

There are three permissible disclosures for HIPAA (Not counting "Incidental Disclosures").

1- Required for transfer of care/Patient care

2- Required by law for criminal reporting

3- Required for normal business operations, which includes Billing and Education/QA functions (already established by the federal government).


Now this does not mean you can call up the ICU like we all used to do. Your agency must have certain agreements (I believe the term is Business partnership agreements but could be wrong) that set guidelines for how you will handle the information (security, non disclosure to third parties, etc), what information you are entitled too, and how you will obtain it).

While it was a hassle to set up, we currently have access to any patient we transport to any of our local hospitals with in 2 days time (in some cases instantly) we want it both for billing information and for QA/QI. So it can be done. But it is a formal process I recommend you take the time to do right.