According to American Psychological Association Practice Organization, the HIPAA privacy rule regulates the patient’s personal information use. A patient’s PHI (personal health information) must not be disclosed without authorization for treatment, payment, or health care operations (American psychological association practice organization, p.1). In the case of death (due to committed suicide), a professional may disclose the information for medical purposes. Business associates that receive PHI to provide their services are also regulated under HIPAA; in this case, a contract is signed between two sides.
Potential ethical conflicts may arise from disclosing certain personal information to varying extents to different parties. In this way, disclosure to law enforcement may be necessary to investigate the incident, as well as communication with medical institutions to correctly record the data from the suicide. The minimum required disclosure allows professionals to share a minimum amount of personal information, in this case, to third-party payers for insurance purposes. In this case, it would be of utmost importance to give sufficient information so that third-party payers do not deny services. (American psychological association practice organization, p.7) On the other hand, clients and management would receive minimal disclosure without the patient’s ability to authorize it. Hence, understanding the central HIPAA policies will guide a professional in investigating the incident and adequately disclosing the patient’s personal information.
To discharge such ethical duties, the health service professional must consult the HIPAA Privacy Rule regulations. All company members must know the listed rights; otherwise, the professional must utilize sanctions to avoid incompliance with the handbook. All of the completed procedures are to be documented appropriately to reflect the professional’s disclosure history. A privacy officer can aid the professional in regulating other members’ compliance in dealing with privacy policies.
Reference
American psychological association practice organization. (2013). HIPAA Privacy rule: A primer for psychologists. Web.