Non-Clinical Support Team Members – Intro To Case Scenarios

Scenario 1

You leave work for the day. As you near the parking lot, you find a stack of papers with patient names, addresses, phone numbers and sensitive health information.

What do you do?

Do nothing and leave them there.
Someone probably left them for a minute and will return to pick them up.

Pick them up and take them to Health Records.
Follow-up with Privacy Officer.

View Answer

The correct response is: “Pick them up and take them to Health Records”

This information should be secured until the owner is located. If the stack is too big, call the Privacy Officer and if not available, your Executive Leader or Service Coordinator. Make sure to follow up with the Privacy Officer.

Scenario 2

You are in an elevator at the hospital and you overhear a discussion about the care of an individual who you know from your church – Mr. Joseph Schmolenke. The following Sunday, one of your friends indicates that they heard Joe was ill. You relay the content of the discussion you overheard in the elevator.

Have you breached confidentiality?

Yes

View Answer

The correct response is: “Yes”

Yes, you have breached your obligation to maintain the information that you came across in the hospital as confidential information. You should remain silent and not disclose that you were aware of Mr. Schmolenke’s presence at the hospital.

Scenario 3

You have to go into a patient’s room to service a light fixture. When you enter the room, you see the physician and residents talking to the patient. The patient seems quite upset.

What do you do?

Enter the room and quietly fix the light.

Leave the room and come back later.

View Answer

The correct response is: “Leave the room and come back later.”

Leave the room and come back later. The health care team appears to be talking about sensitive information which you do not need to hear. By leaving, you will allow the team to finish the discussion without concerns of breaching the patient’s privacy.

Rural Roads
Health Services

Alexandra Hospital,
Ingersoll

Tillsonburg District
Memorial Hospital

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