What is a doctor’s responsibility if a patient requests restrictions on the use of his or her PHI? A. The doctor must comply with the patient’s wishes. B. The doctor need not comply with the patient’s wishes if HIPAA would otherwise permit restrictions. C. The doctor must comply with the patient’s wishes if the patient has good cause. D. Since HIPAA doesn’t address this issue, the doctor is free to decide on a case-bycase basis.
I choose (b). but am confuse
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still confuse (A) OR (B)
In this -- B. The doctor need not comply with the patient’s wishes if HIPAA would otherwise permit restrictions --
Read through HIPAA and find out if there are any restrictions that would be permitted. If you cannot find any such situations, then the answer is A. If you can and they clearly fit the parameters of B, then the answer is B.
If you chose option (b), you are correct. According to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a doctor is not required to comply with a patient's request for restrictions on the use of their Protected Health Information (PHI) if HIPAA itself would permit the use or disclosure of the information without the restrictions.
To fully understand why option (b) is the correct answer, let's break down the other answer choices:
A. The doctor must comply with the patient’s wishes.
This answer choice is incorrect because a doctor is not always obligated to comply with a patient's request for restrictions. While they may try to accommodate the patient's preferences, they are not required to do so under all circumstances.
C. The doctor must comply with the patient’s wishes if the patient has good cause.
This answer choice is also incorrect because HIPAA does not specify that the patient must have "good cause" in order for the doctor to comply with the request. The patient's preference for restrictions, regardless of the reason, is not always sufficient for the doctor to be obligated to comply.
D. Since HIPAA doesn’t address this issue, the doctor is free to decide on a case-by-case basis.
This answer choice is incorrect because HIPAA does actually address this issue. HIPAA provides guidance on the use and disclosure of PHI, including when restrictions can be imposed. Therefore, the doctor cannot freely decide case-by-case without considering HIPAA regulations.
In summary, option (b) is the correct answer because it aligns with HIPAA regulations, stating that a doctor need not comply with a patient's request for restrictions if HIPAA itself permits the use or disclosure of the information without the restrictions.