Discussion Post: Health Information
Scenario
"Mary is a health information management (HIM) student completing a clinical practice rotation in an acute care hospital in her community. This week she is learning about the release-of-information process. At the breakfast table, Mary's mother asks her to find out what is wrong with Ruth, their next-door neighbor. Ruth has been admit-ted to the hospital twice in the past three months, and Mary's mother wants to know why. While processing the requests for release of information that afternoon, Mary comes across one from Ruth's insurance company. Mary learns that Ruth was hospitalized due to physical abuse by her husband. Mary has been in trouble with her mother recently. She knows that if she tells ""her mother this information, she will score "big points." She is very tempted to tell her mother the information she has learned. Later that same day, while responding to another request for information, Mary realizes that the medical record she is reviewing belongs to Ron, her best friend's fiancé. Mary learns that Ron has a drug abuse problem and was recently diagnosed with HIV. Mary will be the maid of honor at the wedding of Ron and Patricia two months from now, and she knows that Patricia does not know about Ron's problems. Mary becomes worried and wonders whether she should tell her best friend what she has learned, because Ron's conditions could affect Patricia's health and the quality of her married life"
Task:
• What should HIM professionals do when family or friends ask them for information about others or when they discover things about people they know during the process of doing their work? Does Mary have the right to reveal this information to others?
• In the situation regarding Mary's friend Patricia and her fiancé Ron, would Mary be more justified in revealing patient information than in the situation regarding the next-door neighbor? Why or why not?
The response should include a reference list. One-inch margins, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space and APA style of writing and citations.