If you had an employee who was accused of sharing a patient's personal information without consent, how would you handle that situation?

"Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon complaint from patients. One thing that I believe is crucial is for employees to understand the importance of privacy and to make sure they know how to explain privacy forms that patients sign as part of their records. Explaining a patient's rights to him and educating him regarding privacy policies is important. If an employee and patient have both been educated on privacy regulations and a complaint is filed, I always talk to the patient first. I will offer a private place to talk and an opportunity for the patient to give me a verbal account of the incident, and ask for a written account. The written account is something that I will need if disciplinary action should become necessary for the employee. I will talk to the employee and, once information is gathered from both sides, I will make a decision regarding further action. As always, if I have something that needs further insight or guidance, I will consult with the medical director to assist with a final decision."

Patient privacy is protected by federal laws. As a medical office manager, it is your responsibility to understand privacy guidelines and to make sure that the employees who work with you are trained regarding those policies. Further, it is your responsibility to be able to handle situations with regard to complaints from patients. The interviewer wants to know that you are able to address situations professionally while also making the patient feel that his/her concerns are being addressed.

"I think it is really important to educate employees, especially those new to healthcare, about patient privacy and the laws that protect our patient information. I believe that knowing all of the facts and gathering all available information is essential before pursuing some kind of reprimand against an employee. I would get a statement from the patient stating what part of his information was compromised and then investigate the accusation by talking to the employee and seeing what documentation he/she can present that will show what information was provided, what the purpose of sharing was, and to whom the information was revealed. After gathering all of the facts, I could then make a judgment as to whether or not the accusation is verifiable and whether or not a reprimand is necessary."