Final answer:
Under HIPAA, access to PHI at Marywood is typically limited to clinic staff, case managers, and PHI officers. Policies related to PHI must balance patient quality of life, healthcare costs, and privacy, but legal safeguards like HIPAA prioritize patient confidentiality even in complex ethical situations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Access to a client's Protected Health Information (PHI) at an institution like Marywood is primarily granted to individuals and entities according to the regulations set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Generally, this can include clinic staff, such as doctors and nurses who need the information to provide care to the patient, and other healthcare professionals involved in the patient's care, like a case manager. It may also extend to a Protected Health Information Officer who ensures compliance with HIPAA regulations. Access by the client's family may be permissible under certain circumstances if the client has provided consent or if other legal provisions apply.
When developing policies related to health records and PHI, it's important to consider several ethical and legal questions. These could include:
- How do we balance patient quality of life and healthcare costs while maintaining privacy?
- What are the ethical implications of prioritizing patient privacy over public health concerns, such as informing sexual partners about potential STD exposure?
- What legal responsibilities and safeguards are in place for the protection and confidentiality of patient records?
HIPAA rules are clear about the importance of maintaining patient confidentiality and impose stringent restrictions on disclosing PHI without patient consent. This legal framework can lead to challenging ethical dilemmas, especially in cases where sexual partners might be at risk of a transmittable disease.