Case Study:
You are the administrator on duty at General Hospital. It is Friday afternoon and the day shift is anxious to get off work on time and start the weekend. Mrs. Anderson, a mid-level administrator on her day off, brings her 15 year old daughter, Sandra, in for a check-up of abdominal pain. Examinations and diagnostic work-up reveal that Sandra is pregnant.
Sandra reveals to the physician that her step-father has molested her and she does not wish her mother to know. Mrs. Anderson demands Sandra's original medical records - claiming that as the mother, she has a legal right to the records. You are called by the emergency room physician and the supervisor in the medical records department with pleas for help. Mrs. Anderson confides in you that her religious beliefs demand that she alter the medical records for the sake of family unity. Accordingly she demands the medical records.
*Discuss the foregoing scenario (provide a resolution) in light of HIPAA and applicable state laws pertaining to medical records and privacy. The questions that must be answered are:
*What are the obligations regarding reporting of the alleged abuse under federal and state laws? Who are mandated reporters and what is their legal obligation?
*What do you say to Mrs. Anderson about her access to records? What laws regulate the access or disclosure of medical records/information of a minor (receiving reproductive care/treatment)?
*What practical recommendations do you have to avoid similar problems in the future?
*You will need to refer to the laws of your state (south carolina) of residence/employment as well as federal law.
Your answer must be typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman font (size 12), one-inch margins on all sides, APA format.