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| dK Coding Advisory | |||||
Under HIPAA, Can Clinics Use Sign-In Sheets in Their Office? Can Clinics Call Out the Names of Patients in Their Waiting Rooms? | |||||
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A copy of this Advisory |
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| Drafted by: dK Coding | |||||
| (President: David Klein, CPC, CHC) | |||||
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Clients and subscribers frequently ask the question "Under HIPAA, may physician offices use patient sign-in sheets or call out the names of their patients in their waiting rooms?" According to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, clinics are generally permitted under the federal HIPAA Privacy Rule to use multi-patient sign-in sheets and to call out patient names in their waiting rooms. Specifically, the HHS has said (an exception is noted in bold): |
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"...Covered entities, such as physician's offices, may use patient sign-in sheets or call out patient names in waiting rooms, so long as the information disclosed is appropriately limited. The HIPAA Privacy Rule explicitly permits the incidental disclosures that may result from this practice, for example, when other patients in a waiting room hear the identity of the person whose name is called, or see other patient names on a sign-in sheet. However, these incidental disclosures are permitted only when the covered entity has implemented reasonable safeguards and the minimum necessary standard, where appropriate. For example, the sign-in sheet may not display medical information that is not necessary for the purpose of signing in (e.g., the medical problem for which the patient is seeing the physician). See 45 CFR 164.502(a)(1)(iii)." | |||||||||||
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"May physicians offices use patient sign-in sheets or call out the names of their patients in their waiting rooms?" Health Information Privacy & Civil Rights Questions & Answers, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, as of 10-14-05. End of Document |
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