Of calls and HIPAA!

Published

Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

One of the most disturbing interuptions in my day at work is the constant and frequent calls I get from family/friends about my patients. And I sound like a parrot when I answer the phone and have to start my ol HIPAA banter, knowing full well I am going to get a wave of nastiness from the other person on the line!

So I have really tried to work on ideas to cut this time wasting, emotionally draining exprience down to nill! Thought it would be cool to get some other ideas as well! I plan on really driving this home with several good ideas written and submitted to my administration in the hospital!

One idea was to have code words the patient families MUST use to gain information. But I think some people didn't have a creative mindset or a perm place to list that codeword so it was readily available...and that idea was just not used...HOWEVER, another nurse combined an idea of mine and we came up with something we think is at least doable! The codeword will be the last 4 digits of the patients account number (which changes each visit...unlike other numbers that are assigned to a patient for good).

We thought it would be great to have these calls fielded by reception...but no way could they take that on, and deal with angry family/friends as well. So guess it will still be up to us...then I thought. Instead of playing musac...play a little blurb before being transfered to the floors about having to have this number in order to get any information due to FEDERAL LAWS! I am sure people will hear it and hang up! If even one person hangs up because of that in my day...that is a total blessing!!!!!!!

What do you guys think? And other ideas would be awesome. Also, I am trying to take in effect the non-verbal patient and demented patients as well...and perhaps better marking on admission forms of WHO may get this number in the case of not having solid authorization from the patient!

Thanks in advance...this should be good! No such thing as a dumb answer either!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.

It will not work. Do you know how I know that. Because I tell the same people day after day "I'm sorry, by federal law, I am not allowed to release info about Aunt Sue, or Cousin Luo, and Grandma Poo. And yet the same people ask again. Because some people, and it seems like many with loved ones in the hospital, think they are entitled to more then the rest of the world. They will reason with themselves that if they stay on the line, surely the rules will change for them...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Oh I hear ya...deal with those wayyyy to often (guess people think us RN's sit around eating bon bons and are just being non-professional stubborn mules...uhggggg!).

However, I felt if they have a probelm with this...even if they go through the message and code...then they can speak to administration about it! That way it is taken to the correct area of the hospital that these complains SHOULD go to! LOL! Like "I am sorry about the inconvienince, I will be transfering you to a message line directly to the administrative staff so you may lodge your formal complaint." (sure beats the heck out of the many folks that have contacted our administration to hopefully get us fired for not providing information...).

Let the correct department of the administration handle it I say...but because us nurses enable this behavior all the while being responsible for any information leaked...well...maybe a few hundred calls in their direction will put something on the books to protect us!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

At my job, we have a voicemail system where the family can give out a code to relatives and they can listen to a message from the nurses. We can not give much detail, no numbers or labs. We can pretty much say what the patient's condition is and that if they have any further questions they need to contact the family spokesperson. It works ok I think. Sometimes people will call and get mad because you can't tell them anything without a code and the code is for the family spokesperson only. I had some guy call the other day about his brother and I told him without the code I cannot give out any info and he started to cuss me out and I had to go into the whole privacy law speech about HOw do I know that you are his brother? and I can get into trouble if I give info to the wrong person...something like that.

People fail to realize that the more we are on the phone talking about Aunt Suzie, the less care Aunt Suzie is getting. For the particular patient above, I got 7 phone calls from relatives and I finally had to tell them to stop calling me and talk to the daughter who was the spokesperson for the patient because this is an ICU and I needed to be at the patient's bedside. Sounds a bit rough and I know they are concerned but the patient was not doing well and I couldn't be on the phone.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics.

At my hospital, addmitted patients get a four digit pin number, that they give out to family that they want to have information given out. Without the pin they don't get anything.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

AWESOME! That is totally the type of system I am begging for!

Yep, oh I have learned some very interesting new cuss names and phrases by these phone calls...LOL! And people on the phone are more bold and stubborn because there is no face to face interaction so they just feel they can yell, cuss and scream with no consequence! UHHHHHGGGGG! I mean, we are on the phone...so we can't possibly be a human being with facial expressions, body language, or even a name!

One day we had a huge power outage in our city...and OMGosh...there were like 5 or more calls from worried folks per patient! It was a nightmare and none of us were able to get a line out because the phone lines were full! Okay this is actually dangerous!

I started asking the folks to please call "so in so" after talking to one and setting them up as the representitive spokesperson! (after letting them know our lines were filled up and couldn't even call folks MD's or family for any changes!!!).

Not to mention I also added "we are a hospital...we have generators for all electrical equipment including our plasma screen TV's...frankly your loved one is warm and comfy..they are probably enjoying cable tv, room service with hot food, and hot showers...while all folks at home get to break out our flashlights and board games! LOL! Don't you worry at all...all is normal here except the dangerously high call volume!".

Honestly...that was a day from Heck ;)...I am glad I had the next...well powerfree house day off! LOL!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I think its hilarious that people think they will get their way if they cuss and scream at you. It makes me laugh.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

It does make me laugh...typically after I cool down at home..>LOL!

Yeah, I have a comedic nature as is...and actually can cuss with the best of them (sadly I grew up with a bunch of foul mouthed old millitary vets that spoke their minds at all times with no holds barred...LOL!)...but I am certainly not going to make a come back of any sort when my job is on the line...so I simply do what I can to make this person (who's ears are turned off anyway) and feel that the respect and professional value of my services are gone to this person...but I don't work for them, I work for the patient!

I have actually been physically threatened once (part of the reason I am for a change...they said they would kill me in the parking lot!)...and I reported them to the police (after talking to my management that urged me to do nothing). I was scared to walk to my car!!!!! The police offered nothing unless I was physically damaged...so oh well, but I thought at least it was on record. I also had to take the additional time to do the entirely long process of an incident report!

Lucky for me, security teams (also after talking to them!) were able to ban this person from the hospital and the guy didn't remember my name (which was NOT given to him or his family for ANY reason and I no longer worked with that patient or future patients from that family). It is documented for my safety...and others have had to do this too!!!!!!

It was very upsetting that I got a death threat with a plan told to me on how it was to be done...and I had to fight tooth and nail for any type of protection for a threat!!!!! All over a federal law that should have been a universal written protocol for all facilities to follow in the first place!

And yes, security did find him in the parking lot after my shift...lucky for me the wrong one! Police were called. Don't know what happened afterwards because "it was none of my business" (I mean heck...did he bring a weapon??? Think that is my right to know!).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

It really amazes me that management really did not care about your safety. The same thing happened at the hospital I used to work at. Family threatened to bring a gun and shoot one of the nurses I worked with. Management was not very helpful at all so one of the doctors walked the nurse to her car at the end of her shift. This doctor was the head of internal medicine at the hospital and happened to hear the guy threatening my co-worker.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Yes...it is scary! And this seems to be the fuel for most of the hostalilty!!!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.
It really amazes me that management really did not care about your safety. The same thing happened at the hospital I used to work at. Family threatened to bring a gun and shoot one of the nurses I worked with. Management was not very helpful at all so one of the doctors walked the nurse to her car at the end of her shift. This doctor was the head of internal medicine at the hospital and happened to hear the guy threatening my co-worker.

If they do anything about it, they might get a bad patient survey :bugeyes:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

LOL!!!! So very very very true!!!!!!!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion