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Question for nurses / staff at medical providers

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 5/2/2013 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
With all the privacy laws, is it acceptable to leave any kind of patient information on answering answering machines? I thought all information was to only be discussed with patient or patient approved contacts.
Silly me for thinking that might be the case with all the HIPPA and forms we now have to sign annually.

I would think leaving messages on answering machine would be a forbidden item.

T
Posted 5/2/2013 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
In the health insurance industry, we would not leave PHI on a voice mail because it can not be determined if it is secure or an answering maching. Actually you have to give ID info before conversation.
Posted 5/2/2013 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
I had to sign something agreeing to have information left on an answering machine.
Posted 5/2/2013 10:07 PM (GMT 0)
Right. They're not supposed to leave any messages that include personal health information on an answering machine unless you've signed a specific permission for them to do so. If they did leave a recorded message with personal information in it, it would be advisable for you to send them something in writing (i.e., not just tell a nurse or office staff member on the phone) asking that, in future, they not do so. You can be nice about it, rather than angry or snippy--but you should definitely give them something in writing, to make sure that it doesn't happen again.
Posted 5/3/2013 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
I thank you all for your feedback. I am really highly torqued off about now. I talked to the Hospital last week for scheduled surgery, Monday a chief surgeon calls the house, son picks it up surgeon tells DR. that I am can't get to the phone right away. He wants me to call office. I called office and they said they left two messages on "answering" machine. They gave my surgery time slot away, because I did not call back. I don't do answering machines as I disabled that function on my house phone with 5 children the phones rings all the time. Comcast I don't know how that is done.
My kids don't know yet that I'm getting surgery and if they intercepted messages that would freak them out. They told me to stop meds 2 weeks ago and now I have no idea when.

But, Thanks for the responses.

T
Posted 5/3/2013 7:50 PM (GMT 0)
It would be perfectly acceptable for them to leave a message asking you to "call dr. quack's office as soon as possible", but not to mention surgery.
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