A colleague asks you to give her your password access so that she can

QUESTION

A colleague asks you to give her your password access so that she can view her partner’s healthcare record. This request violates the patient’s right to:

a. Privacy.
b. Confidentiality.
c. Undue authorization of treatment.
d. Protection against slander.

ANSWER:

ANS: A
Privacy refers to the right to protection against unreasonable and unwarranted interference with the patient’s solitude. Privacy standards limit how personal health information may be used or shared and mandate safeguards for the protection of health information. Institutions can reduce potential liability in this area by allowing access to patient data, either written or oral, only to those with a “need to know.” Persons with a need to know include physicians and nurses caring for the patient, technicians, unit clerks, therapists, social service workers, and patient advocates. Others wishing to access patient data must first ask the patient for permission to review a record.