InstructionsThis assignment supports the following unit learning outcome:
Identify the basic requirements and tools needed for assessing effectiveness of communication strategies about health and wellness.
As you have learned, the health communicator must adhere to strict privacy guidelines when working with protected health information (PHI) and other sensitive information. This is one of the skills in which communicators must excel, as a breach in privacy is a serious offense. To continue developing your skills in managing PHI, you will complete a Case Study that involves a breach of confidentiality. Read the Case Study below on protected health information (PHI), then complete the questions. You should conduct additional research to support your answers.
Case Study
After treating a patient injured in a rather unusual sporting accident, the hospital released to the local media, without the patient’s authorization, copies of the patient’s skull x-ray as well as a description of the complainant’s medical condition. The local newspaper then featured on its front page the individual’s x-ray and an article that included the date of the accident, the location of the accident, the patient’s gender, a description of patient’s medical condition, and numerous quotes from the hospital about such unusual sporting accidents. The hospital asserted that the disclosures were made to avert a serious threat to health or safety; however, an investigation indicated that the disclosures did not meet the Privacy Rule’s standard for such actions. The investigation also indicated that the disclosures did not meet the Rule’s de-identification standard and therefore were not permissible without the individual’s authorization. Among other corrective actions to resolve the specific issues in the case, investigating agency required the hospital to develop and implement a policy regarding disclosures related to serious threats to health and safety, and to train all members of the hospital staff on the new policy (Office for Civil Rights, 2017).
Please see attched file and use. Thank you.