Many paper documents containing PHI like spectacle prescriptions, visual field printouts, and patient receipts are utilized every day in clinic. While transporting these documents from room to room or giving them directly to another staff member is allowed as part of normal healthcare operations, leaving documents containing PHI unattended in a public workplace does not provide reasonable protection for the PHI. These documents should be maintained at all times. Once printouts or paper back up exam forms are scanned or transcribed into Compulink, they should be discarded in a shred bin. Any documents that need to be sent to another department within the college (like medical records or the billing office) should be placed and sealed in a red intradepartmental envelope addressed to the appropriate individual. Red intradepartmental envelopes are available in The Optometry Clinic receiving room (room 3114) and the medical records department (room 1050).
FAQ
Q: How should I manage the discovery of a threshold visual field printout in the windowsill of the special testing room?
A: The document should be placed in and sealed in a red intradepartmental envelope addressed to Cathy Beatty, the college HIPAA Privacy Officer.