Based on the HIPAA privacy rule issues discussed in Chapter 10, identify the event and privacy issue or
issues presented on each date in the case study.
On July 18, Ms. Jones contacted the HIM department at St. John Hospital to request a copy of her
medical records from her May hospital admission. The chart was copied for her by ReadyChart, the
record-copying service utilized by St. John Hospital.
On October 5, St. John Hospital received a call from Mercy Hospital. Ms. Jones was in the emergency
department there with a severe infection of her prosthetic site. The nurse in the Mercy Hospital
emergency department asked for faxed copies of medical records from Ms. Jones’ September admission
at St. John, as she was being prepared for immediate surgery.
On October 15, Ms. Jones called St. John Hospital’s HIM department and asked that her medical records
from her May St. John Hospital admission be mailed to Dr. Lyon, as she has an appointment scheduled
with him on November 15. Ms. Jones stated that she had also changed jobs in September, and her new
health insurer was Liberty Life and Health.
On November 10, Ms. Jones received a brochure and samples from Comfort Healthcare, a
pharmaceutical company that manufactures ointment for patients with prostheses. Ms. Jones called the
St. John Hospital registration desk to complain. Jessica Carter, a volunteer, took Ms. Jones’ call.
On November 29, Liberty Life and Health submitted a request to Dr. Lyon’s office for copies of Ms. Jones’
medical records from her May St. John Hospital admission and from Dr. Lyon’s office.
On November 30, a case worker from the Johnson County Children’s Services called the HIM department
at St. John and requested Ms. Jones’ medical records from her May hospitalization. Children’s services
had received a complaint that Ms. Jones had an “episode” on May 26 and there was concern that her
children were being subjected to ongoing abuse. As a result, it was initiating an investigation.
On December 2, Dr. King, an orthopedic surgeon, presented a seminar to the state association of
orthopedic surgeons on above-knee amputation techniques. He had performed this procedure on Ms.
Jones one year ago, and he showed slides that compared her condition before the procedure,
immediately after, six months later, and one year later.