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Tuesday, February 20, 2007Before the privacy regulations, doctors, hospitals and their medical records personnel relied on their professional ethics and individual policies when exchanging information. It worked well for most emergencies. In a pinch I could get the information I needed with a phone call. Initially I was hopeful that the complexity and cost of the privacy provisions would be made up for by easier flow of critical information. From my perspective it hasn't worked out so well. I face bureaucracy -- bureaucracy that the letter of the law doesn't require -- with virtually every hospital and health-care entity I deal with. After extensive training on the privacy provisions, many hospital personnel became fearful of disclosing information to anybody for anything without a signed consent form. There are many nuances to the law that are too much for the average records clerk to master. Not just the clerks. Their bosses in management are spooked by the laws, too. And who wouldn't be? All it takes is one overzealous prosecutor to ruin a person. Laws are made to be interpreted, and no one knows how a prosecutor or judge is going to interpret the letter of the new law. posted by Sydney on 2/20/2007 08:37:00 AM 1 comments 1 Comments:
I agree, it's unpleasant problem for medical personnel. It can appreciably down all work done. By 7:13 PM , at |
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