Q: Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule strictly prohibit the disclosure or request of an entire medical record? If not, does there need to be a case-by-case justification every time an entire record is disclosed?
Q: Would it be appropriate to query the provider for clarification if documentation for an orbital fracture doesn’t specify the location of the fracture and whether it is open or closed?
Q: I work for a small rural hospital, and we have a lot of budget limitations for technology upgrades. Can we allow clinical staff to use their personal cell phones and mobile devices to communicate with patients? If so, how can we keep our calls, email, and text messages HIPAA compliant?
Q: How should we handle canceled inpatient-only procedures? Are these are still coded to the full intended procedure under OPPS and modified with a -73 or -74 modifier? Most of these cases result in changed orders to outpatient due to the patient being discharged the same day. Can the original inpatient order be used?
