how confidentiality is maintained when writing a referral?

Question

when nurse in hospital is writing a referral to patients to discharge from the hospital

Answer 1

When you are writing a nursing referral for a patient's discharge to another facility, this is effectively a handover.

The issues of confidentiality is much the same as when one is doing a handover to another ward or another part of the hospital.

You are committing the patient's details to paper and giving it to the ambulance crew or to the patient themselves, or in some cases faxing the receiving institution.

Confidentiality can be breached if the letter gets into the wrong hands or if a fax is received/read by the wrong person.

I usually like to give the letter to the patient (or in the event that the patient has cognitive impairments, I give the letter to a family member). This way, if the letter gets into the wrong hands the responsibility lies with the patient themselves.

Answer 2

The Federal Government passed a bill effective in April 2003 covering how all associated medical institutions, personnel, etc.,handle patient confidentiality. There are strict guidelines that could result in fines or suspension of licensure if violated.

Once the patient agrees to the referral, he/she also agrees to release the medical records to the referral MD, clinic or what have you. Informed consent papers are presented before treatment and once signed all parties agree to that privledged information.

California has even stricter guidelines than the Federal HIPPA laws. It is up to the patient to be informed about all decisions in his/her medical care.

Answer 3

very