Final answer:
A unique patient identifier is used within a health information exchange organization to locate patient records, ensuring patient data integrity and privacy. Balancing treatment costs, quality of life, and privacy requires careful consideration of consent, security, and confidentiality policies. HIPPA sets the legal standards for the protection of electronic health records.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tool used to locate where patients may have records within a health information exchange organization is B. Unique patient identifier. A unique patient identifier allows for the precise matching of patients to their healthcare data across different systems and settings. This helps maintain the integrity and privacy of the records while enabling efficient data exchange among providers.
In regard to the balance between costs of treatments, patient quality of life, and risks to individual privacy, three questions to consider include: How will patient consent be obtained and managed? What measures will be taken to ensure the security of exchanged data? How can the minimum necessary information be shared to achieve quality care while still safeguarding patient confidentiality?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), with its focus on the protection of patient information, plays a critical role in setting the standards and legal considerations for the privacy of electronic health records and must be carefully considered when sharing patient data.