How to Communicate Patient Information

Communicating patient information to a patient or to a patient's family can be tricky. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 created a standard of regulations for sharing patient information. Make sure that you are familiar with the provisions of HIPAA. It is important to communicate patient information in the appropriate way and to follow all HIPAA rules to protect the privacy of the patient. Discussing a patient's medical and private information can be a sensitive matter for many people.

Instructions

• 1

  Locate a private area where you can speak with the patient or the patient's family in person. A small conference room, office or empty waiting area is best for patient privacy, especially if you are conveying bad news.

• 2

  Verify that you are speaking with the correct patient. If you are communicating with a patient's family, verify that you have permission to speak with them about the patient's condition without breaking any HIPAA rules. You may speak with a patient's healthcare surrogate or anyone allowed by the patient or surrogate.

• 3

  Have the patient's chart available for reference. When discussing medical information with the patient or a patient's family/surrogate, there may be questions that require referencing the chart.

• 4

  Speak in clear and concise language that is easy for everyone to understand. Give all news, even bad news, in frank terminology and avoid giving vague outlooks or information that may cause the patient or family to suffer more.

• 5

  Allow the patient or family plenty of time to respond to the information that you have communicated to them. Ask if they have any questions or give them the appropriate person to follow up with if they have more questions in the future.