Question

question 26 of 30
if a patient opts out of the cha inpatient directory, how can an outside visitor confirm that the patient is being treated at a cha facility.
by calling the main cha number and asking if the person is a patient.
by calling each patient floor to find out if the person is there.
by calling the clinic where the person’s primary care provider practices to see if they know.
by contacting the patient directly; only the patient can inform people s/he is at cha if the patient has opted out of the directory.

Explanation:

In healthcare, patient privacy (HIPAA - related) restricts disclosing patient presence without patient consent. If a patient opts out of the directory, only the patient can authorize sharing their presence. Other options (calling main CHA, patient floor, or primary care clinic) would violate privacy as they seek to confirm without patient permission.

Answer:

By contacting the patient directly; only the patient can inform people s/he is at CHA if the patient has opted out of the directory.