Question

The police came to the HIM department today and asked that a patient's right to an accounting of disclosure be suspended for two months. Identify the proper response.

a. "I'm sorry, Officer, but privacy regulations do not allow us to do this."
b. "Certainly, Officer. We will take care of that right now."
c. "I'm sorry, Officer, but we can only do this for one month."
d. "Certainly, Officer. We will be glad to do that as soon as we have the request in writing."

Answer 1

The proper response would be 'a. 'I'm sorry, Officer, but privacy regulations do not allow us to do this.'

Step-by-step explanation:

The proper response would be 'a. 'I'm sorry, Officer, but privacy regulations do not allow us to do this.'

Police officers are not authorized to suspend a patient's right to an accounting of disclosure without proper legal documentation or justification. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires healthcare providers to maintain strict confidentiality of patient records and prohibits the unauthorized disclosure of patient information. Therefore, it is not within the authority of the HIM department to comply with the officer's request.