Customer Service: Balancing Patient Privacy & Customer Service

As is typical with laws and regulations governing health care, it sometimes becomes a challenge to provide good customer service to our patients while at the same time trying to comply with applicable laws and regulations. Although state and federal laws that protect the privacy of an individual's health information impose many requirements by which you as a healthcare professional must abide, you can effectively comply with these requirements and provide excellent customer service to your patients by treating them with dignity and respect for their privacy by integrating the tips below into your everyday practice. Sometimes just telling or showing a patient that you care about his or her privacy makes a big difference and helps the patient to feel that you really do respect and care about their privacy.

Here are some ways you can balance patient privacy and customer service:

• Lower your voice. Be discreet when talking to a patient in a semi-private room or when in a public area.
• When speaking on the phone in an area where others may overhear, lower your voice. Use the least amount of patient identifiable information to accomplish the purpose of your telephone conversation.
• Provide sheets, gowns or when clinically appropriate close curtains to protect the patient from exposure and tell them "I am closing the curtain for your privacy."
• Knock before entering a room; announce yourself.
• Sometimes you may have to move the patient to a more private area to discuss confidential information. Say, "I am moving you to a more private area to discuss these confidential issues".
• When visitors are present, give the patient an opportunity to agree or object to the sharing of information before discussing confidential information, say, "I'd like to discuss some personal information with you, would you like to discuss this privately?"
• Communicate effectively with patient family members and friends. Most often, a patient's family members and friends help to support the patient through the course of their illness. Say to the family member or friend, "I know it's important for you to know how the patient is doing and to be a part of the patient's care, please hold on one moment while I check to see what information I can share with you." For information on what can be shared with patient family members and friends, go to Supplemental Learning Modules Other Communication under HIPAA.
• Keep charts closed when not in use. Keep them locked and/or out of the way of visitors.
• Lock the workstation you are using at the patient room when stepping away.
• When others are loudly discussing patient information, say, "Excuse me, but this sounds like confidential patient information that I shouldn't be hearing, and you shouldn’t be discussing here where others may overhear".
• When faxing information, be sure to follow fax policy. Verify the fax number is correct. Double check to be sure you entered the number correctly. Don't leave any pages at the fax machine unattended.
• Always wear your employee badge, it lets patients and visitors know you belong here.

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