Am I the only one who thinks the new HIPPA regs are going to clash horribly with the kiss-but customer service and open visitation policies in place in most hospitals?
I understand the new regs to mean that no info can be given out to anyone without the signed permission of the patient. We have many patients in the trauma unit who come into us intubated, unconcious, unable to sign anything. You have to get consents from someone, which you certainly can't get if you can't give out info about the patients condition. If my husband were in a accident, came to the hospital unconcious, they couldn't tell me anything?
Don't forget all the nosy visitors who ask questions which we'll have to refuse to answer. Anyone can go in a room, read the labels on the IV bags, go home look up the names on the internet, and learn about a patients condition.
I've had patients with visitors who claim to be the wife, then the next day another woman claims to be the wife.
Do any of your hospitals ask for ID or proof of power of atty, etc from famililes before giving out any info? Do you screen visitors? Except for peds and newborn we don't.
The other night while we were withdrawing a brain dead patient from the vent. The family wasn't found for a couple days, when they were, they decided they didn't want him to suffer. Any Joe schmo on the street could come in, claim to be the patients family and ask to have them withdrawn. Farfetched, maybe. Ya'll let me know if I'm crazy. You always do:)
You always do:)