Competency
Examine legal requirements for managing patient information, health information documentation, the release of information, and electronic health records.
Instructions
You have recently been promoted to Health Services Manager at Three Mountains Regional Hospital, a small hospital located in a mid-size city in the Midwest. Three Mountains is a general medical and surgical facility with 400 beds. Last year there were approximately 62,000 emergency visits and 15,000 admissions. More than 6,000 outpatient and 10,000 inpatient surgeries were performed. Three Mountains was recently in the news after employee emails were published where patients were discussed in very negative terms.

Due to the breach of information, many patients are skeptical about selecting Three Mountains as their hospital of choice. Even though specific names of patients were not disclosed as part of the inappropriate dissemination of information, parts of their medical records were mentioned. The patient information was not shared in a favorable light. Patients want to feel secure when they share information with their healthcare providers and be certain that it will remain private.

You will create an informational brochure educating patients about the contents of the medical record and the proper release of information. In a double-sided brochure you need to address the following topics:

The Electronic Medical Record: Definition and contents of the EMR. You will want to include some of the Joint Commission’s requirements pertaining to what should be included in the medical record and when entries should be completed.
HIPAA/Confidentiality: Provide an overview of HIPAA and the level of confidentiality that the patient can expect from Three Mountains Regional Hospital.
Release of Information: Explain the process for a patient to obtain either copies or sections of their medical records. Discuss that information cannot be shared without their express permission.
Privacy Pledge: Craft a privacy pledge statement informing the patient that they can trust that their information will remain private.
The brochure that you will create should be a tri-fold design(the first for the outside and the second for the inside). Draw attention to your brochure by using well-placed art, an easy to read design, and use of color.