tiger74

The prn nurse had been assigned to this patient on many occassions and therefor was familiar with this patient and the patients needs. Is the medical team in hipaa violation because they inititated the order to call the prn nurse? Was the nurse making the call to the prn nurse in violation? Or the Prn nurse in violation because she was now prn status and made the phone call to the pcp? All one company, all for the continuity of care for one patient.

This is not a student assignment. This is a legitimate question. The details were spared because I did not want to be in Hipaa violation.

A friend was on shift, taking care of a patient who needed their medication list updated. The patient was having a few complications at the time and was unable to provide any information. In order for the medical team to provide effective treatment, they needed an updated medication list. The medical team was unsuccessful at contacting the pcp for the current medication list. It was decided by the medical team, to contact a nurse off duty, that had just gone prn for the company, to see if he could contact the pcp. (the prn nurse had priviledged private contact numbers for that pcp.) The prn nurse called the pcp to alert him that the medical team was looking for some information, as to provide continuity of care. Was there a Hipaa violation in this scenario?