With the current COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare facilities are either working at a frenetic pace to treat an increasing number of sick patients or frantically preparing themselves for what’s yet to come.
Q: When our physicians need to talk to a patient’s family about the status of the patient, they usually can do so in a private room near the waiting area. But there have been instances when the private rooms are occupied and the physicians must discuss the status of a patient in the waiting room or in the hallway. Is this permissible under HIPAA?
