Patient registration-HIPPA

I've read several different post on HIPPA on different forums. I've worked in patient registration andI think people get confused on what it really is. It's about giving out information about somebody's visit or health record from a health care facility.

When asked your name you have to give it to them so they know who to check in and how to direct them.giving your date of birth also narrows down the "Reggie Smith" they're dealing with.believe it or not there may be several Reggie Smiths in the system, so DOB is verifying the person. I've had same name,same DOB on patients.also when you're signing a paper you need to sign a name so as the correct insurance is billed. Ex: Steve Smith puts S.S. down and Sheila Simpson is billed because of just initials.

Confidentiality is for workers who bills, see patients,even for the maintenance workers at a health facility. Its so they will not say to anyone Steve Smith was at the clinic to outside entities. People who need to know information on a patient are the only ones that should know private information. Names, DOB and who you are seeing for a doctor are vital for patient registration to set off a trail for insurances and to make sure they are getting to the right provider and for the right chart to be pulled up for the visit.

[Isinatra]

Thanks, Itzallgood. Simple common sense explanation.

[Dolphin14]

Yes, you are correct in that two identifiers are necessary to form an identification of a patient. I work in an office. When I first started they never used date of birth on any form, I was shocked. I had to set the standard for that. I was not going near paperwork without two identifiers that pinpointed exactly who a patient was. I receive forms on my desk going out of the office that have name and medical record number as identifiers. Great we can find them but not the person on the other end that gets the info. Our medical record number means nothing to them.

As far as privacy when checking in at the window, you do stand right there and say your full name, date of birth, address and phone number for verification. You can't get around that and everyone sitting there is listening. Privacy is maintained as much as possible but you can't get checked in outside in the hall in a small office. So you have to bite the bullet somewhere.

There have been little memes about calling a patient by diagnosis. It is funny to read them. I would rather my full name be stated, which it is not, than hear someone call me by diagnosis. Makes me laugh..... would the patient with persistent diarrhea please come in hahaha

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[Hidden in reply to Dolphin14]

Lol. Yes I rather have my name than the diagnosis.😅. I know where I go for my appointments they say my first name. One time there were two of us with my name and they were forced to use last name. I was ok with that. They didn't violate any HIPPA laws at all. It was how it was done years ago. Up until covid hit my clinic/hospital used pagers.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Hidden]

Oh that's an interesting way with the pagers. I've never seen that. Yes every office I have been in you are called by first name and as you say last if needed. But at the check in point you verify everything.

People are seriously not as focused on us as we think they are. If someone recognized me at an office I would imagine we would speak anyway.

For me the privacy is in what I am being seen for. I don't want my business on display. I've never been anywhere that has me write my name and that I'm having and X-ray for constipation... hahahaha. That's where I draw the line.

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[Hidden in reply to Dolphin14]

Lol. I know when the patient call to set up appointment they tell you what they're being seen for but when they showed I'm only interested in the name, DOB, and insurance verification. Otherwise if the patient doesn't want to say what they are coming in for , we usually typed in personal. But still then we need to decide if it was a 20 minute or 40 minute visit. Most physicals or wellness checks are 40 minute visits. I know if it was something else like a vasectomy was like an hour visit. Just writing that scared me. Lol.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Hidden]

Yup, that's how it works. Personal or they reveal. We do ask street address. Gotta find them if they don't pay their bills. Lol

Ya vasectomy, hahaha.... I almost put hysterectomy in my previous reply. But for some reason I'm focused on the bowels today

[Hidden in reply to Dolphin14]

I guess you had to pick one and bowels it is.😅

[Dolphin14 in reply to Hidden]

Good one Lmao

[Alershot1 in reply to Dolphin14]

UK appointments seem to be 5 or 10 minutes NHS I suppose!!!

[Dolphin14 in reply to Alershot1]

Wow..... that's a very short appointment. What gets done in 5 minutes? I'm curious.

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[Hidden in reply to Dolphin14]

I get it sometimes that visits are short but should be scheduled for 20 minimum. I've gone in at times and the provider was prepared very well for my visit. Mostly rechecks tho.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Hidden]

Agree 20 minutes on the schedule and if you get out in 15 that's great.

I had an appointment the other day and at each check in point I was chuckling to myself thinking of your post. Lol

At the lab I had to do a full check in at the widow. Gave out a bunch of information. Not one person in that waiting room was focused on me. Everyone had their phone in their hand. All they wanted was to hear their name called. I wanted to say hey guys..... don't you want to hear my insurance company name? My street address? My bday?

Lmao

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[Hidden in reply to Dolphin14]

Social media has more of a grip on people than anything in the world. But I know I've seen some people who are in the waiting room just staring at you when you're checking in like they are nosy. Lol. I've had quite a few appts in last few years and I really don't worry about people over hearing my check-ins anymore. There's nothing they can do unless they remodel the area and have a wall up between waiting room and check in desk, which would solve the problem of people listening in.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Hidden]

True. I would just assume the are admiring my outfit. Lol

[Isinatra in reply to Dolphin14]

Lol Well said.

[car103]

This is (sort of) a related HIPPA question. My brother started working with a Social Worker perhaps 5 months ago. She never offered a HIPPA to sign.

I told him he needs to request one. She keeps putting him off. This seems really odd to me. Thoughts?

[Hidden in reply to car103]

I would definitely get a HIPPA form signed even tho they actually bound by HIPPA anyways. Should've been offered one.An employee is not able to obtain any medical records when it is for personal use or if they are not on duty even for s relative, friend, co-worker or anyone at that.

[Jeff1943]

There are some illnesses which if I had them I wouldn't want the world to know about. And I admit I kept my anxiety disorder a secret from those I worked for and with, I thought they may consider me unreliable. I even kept it from my parents during their latter years as I didn't want them to worry. I think in those days perceptions of neurosis were different from now. But I think that 'coming out' and admitting to friends and others that you have experienced high anxiety and have been treated for it is a good thing. Anxiety disorder is nothing to be ashamed of and the more people think of it as a 'normal' illness with a cause, symptoms and remedies (like physical illness) the better. I have mentioned it in passing to several good friends and at least one admitted he had experienced it and kept it schtum too.

[Hidden in reply to Jeff1943]

I agree with your statement that i wouldnt people to know about my history. Some I don't care if they do like my skin cancer checkups. I advocate for people who don't think it's worth getting their skin checked. I've had melanoma, carcinoma, rashes that reoccur. Melanoma is a big skin cancer that will take your life if untreated. I have a friend who knows a guy that has a big spot on his back that he's finally getting checked. Undergoing chemo for it.