Auto news on Youtube Sep 4 2018

Sign-in sheets, sign in sheets?

We don't need no stinkin sign-in sheets!

Well, maybe you do, stay tuned…

Hi, it's Kathy Mills Chang and today's version of Kathy's Mini Class is going to zero in

on a question we get at least once a week, can I have a sign-in sheet or is it a violation

of HIPAA?

Well, the answer is maybe, probably not, but maybe.

Sign-in sheets are sometimes the only way that you actually know that a patient's been

there, if you ever have to prove it later because they've signed in and you've scanned

that into some storage, and you have proof that they signed in that day.

Why it is not a violation of HIPAA is that if you keep it simple, and just have them

sign their name and their arrival time, there is nothing there that is a violation of protected

health information.

Where doctors go wrong, is by having them list reason for visit, telephone number, has

your address changed and we don't want to do any of that.

So, keep it simple have a simple sign-in sheet, use it to balance at the end of every night

with your individual computer entries, make sure that everyone has been accounted for.

Also, make sure that your notice of privacy practices indicates that you're going to use

a sign-in sheet, or that you may be calling a patient's name in the reception room Mr.

Jones, Mr. Smith those are absolutely fine to do.

So, use common sense, make sure that you know it's not so strict that you can't have a patient

sign in.

Again, it may be the only proof that you have that the patient was actually in the office

today.

It is not a violation, but be sure you're only using limited information.

Sign-in sheets, why not?

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