Final answer:
HIPAA requires healthcare providers to maintain strict confidentiality of patient records. The HIM Department can generally disclose a former patient's date of birth and address to law enforcement if relevant, but information like complete medical history and social security number usually require a court order or explicit consent. The correct option is a.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the local police department requests information about a former patient, identified as a suspect in a recent felonious assault, only specific information may be disclosed. This is largely governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) which requires healthcare providers to maintain strict confidentiality of patient records.
In general, the healthcare provider may disclose protected health information if it is in response to a lawful request by public authorities, such as to comply with a court order, warrant, or similar legal process. However, without such compelling legal documents, typically, only limited information such as proof of certain treatments or the fact that a person was a patient on a particular day can be released.
The HIM Department should consult its legal advisors to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations when responding to the police request. The information that could generally be disclosed to law enforcement without the individual's consent and without a formal court order might include the date of birth and address of the individual, under particular conditions and when relevant to the law enforcement inquiry.
Complete medical history, social security number, and emergency contact information are generally considered more protected and would usually require a court order or the patient's explicit consent before being released.
Hence, Option a is correct.