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View Full Version : Is taking phone message for family member a hippa violation


lpitoni
Sep 2, 2013, 04:56 PM
I work in a medical office and have a family member that is a patient there,
I know it's a hippa violation to go into her chart, but if its part of my job to make
Appointments and take phone messages, am I able to do those things with that
Family member or is that a hippa violation also.

AK lawyer
Sep 2, 2013, 05:20 PM
If your job is to make appointments for, and take messages from, patients, the fact that such a patient happens to be your family member doesn't change what you do from "permitted" to "not permitted".

J_9
Sep 2, 2013, 06:15 PM
Firstly, it is HIPAA, not hippa. Making appointments is fine. As far as phone messages go, it depends if you are receiving the messages or leaving the messages.

When it comes to leaving messages at a patient's home, there will have to be a release on file permitting you to leave a message with anyone other than the patient. That includes family members.

Fr_Chuck
Sep 2, 2013, 10:31 PM
You treat the family member just like any other patient.