Do you cut off Name Band?

tatara · Oct 9, 2009

Wow, I see a whole long line of p*****d. d/c pts...how many discharges does he handle in one day? What happens if the pts inst have been sent out to the car with family already?

Perhaps our hospital is the only one in the whole world who has this kind of directive for its Security officer . This is the only solution the board had come up with to address the problem on high abscond incidence rate. Here in a third world country, most patients do not have health insurance. They come in as "cash basis." They pay their meds and other services including professional fees of their doctors. To avoid bankruptcy, it is then necessary to make sure they have settled their financial obligations before discharge. They have to present a clearance from the accounting office stating that they have already paid the hospital bill or have made arrangements. As with the home instruction from the attending physician, along with it is the prescription of home meds which is not usually given until they drop by the doctor's clinic for the professional fee.

Sadly, but profit is sometimes more important than any other considerations.

My responsibility as a nurse is only up to when I have completely carried out the discharge order and my patient is safely transported out through the exit door. The security guard is then tasked to do the final check about money matters with bandage scissors in hand. :no: Tsk-tsk.

I ought to share this.

:redbeathe tatara

jessiern, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2009

I always cut the bands off, right before I wheel them out. But, not out of HIPPA concerns. I cut it off, and tell them that means they are "offically" free to go. Seems crazy, but patients seem to very much appreciate having them taken off. One patient told me having the bands cut off was like having a weight lifted off her shoulders.

MikeyBSN · Oct 9, 2009

Slight correction to everyone, which I'm guilty of. The law is "HIPAA", not "HIPPA".

dscrn · Oct 9, 2009

Slight correction to everyone, which I'm guilty of. The law is "HIPAA", not "HIPPA".

Spe;;ing counts..but I'm sure we all knew what ou meant. There are just so many letters out there, I just sort of refer to all as the e i e i o.... :cry:

jessiern, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2009

Slight correction to everyone, which I'm guilty of. The law is "HIPAA", not "HIPPA".

Point well taken. :)

tewdles, RN · Oct 10, 2009

Has it occured to anyone besides me that the only reason that "we" need HIPPA is because of politicians, lawyers, and greedy people?

kids · Oct 10, 2009

I've never heard of such a thing. How is it a HIPPA violation? The band belongs to the patient.

I disagree, I think the name band is hospital property.

To exit any unit in my hospital you have to pass an attended desk. Policy is for the transporter to stop at the desk and verify the patient has all their dc stuff, transporter cuts off the name band and drops it in a basket.

Has been the policy since I started working there almost 3 years ago.

Has it occured to anyone besides me that the only reason that "we" need HIPPA is because of politicians, lawyers, and greedy people?

You've not had your sensitive health information disclosed due to sloppiness, have you?

morte, LPN, LVN · Oct 10, 2009

I disagree, I think the name band is hospital property.
To exit any unit in my hospital you have to pass an attended desk. Policy is for the transporter to stop at the desk and verify the patient has all their dc stuff, transporter cuts off the name band and drops it in a basket.
Has been the policy since I started working there almost 3 years ago.
You've not had your sensitive health information disclosed due to sloppiness, have you?

that would have been illegal before HIPAA.......

MikeyBSN · Oct 11, 2009

I disagree, I think the name band is hospital property.

You could look at the name band two ways, neither of which would result in a HIPAA violation. The first way is to view it as something that the patient gets as part of their treatment, like an icepack. The band is part of the admission process fee, and it belongs to the patient. An ice pack used for the treatment of a specific patient is no longer the hospital's property, it becomes the patient's property. They can take it home, throw it away or play hackiesac with it. Just like the ice pack, the patient can take their own ID band home, or throw it away.

You could also view the ID band in another way. The band has patient information on it, which makes it part of the medical record. Although it might techinally be the hospital's "property", the medical record information ultimately belongs to the patient and the have a right to their own medical record, in every state. So, if the patient chooses to take that part of their record home with them, that is not the hosptial's responsibilty. Once the patient takes their medical records out of the hospital of their own volition, then they can do what they wish with it. It is no longer the hospital's responsibility. If the hospital cut the band off before the patient left and then threw it out a window, that might be a HIPAA violation. But once the patient has control of her own medical infomation, the hospital can't be responsible for what they do with it. To hold a hospital responsible for a patient being careless with their own medical information would just be absurd.

Pat_Pat RN · Oct 11, 2009

Mikey I wish I could give MuchoKudos, cause your post would get it.

tatara · Oct 11, 2009

Mikey I wish I could give MuchoKudos, cause your post would get it.

:yeah: I agree!

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Oct 11, 2009

I don't see how it could be a HIPAA violation if the patient cut if off themselves. We are not allowed to cut off their name bands. I don't know why.