D u k e Details - Advanced Clinical Practice - Duke University

sWhat can you do to protect patientconfidentiality?Steps you take to protect patient confidentiality:• Only access the patient records needed to performyour work/duties as it relates to treatment,payment or operations of the hospital.• Close chart boxes when not in use.• Activate screen saver when computer not inuse.• List patients only by last name, first initial, and/or coded diagnosis in areas where visitorsfrequent.• Avoid posting information on patients’ doorthat discloses diagnoses or treatments.• Do not discuss patient information in publicareas, including hallways, cafeterias andelevators.• Permit access to patient information only bythose involved in the patient’s care. Directvisitors to the Information Desk.• Protect computer password(s). Don’t share itwith anyone. Never write it down. Don’t say italoud. Don’t email it.• Include confidentiality notice on all faxesinvolving patient information.• Dispose of protected health information in“Shred It” containers for destruction.• Do not share patient information on socialnetworking sites such as Facebook, MySpace,Twitter, etc. Do not “friend” patients.For more details, refer to Duke University MedicalCenter Confidentiality Agreement and the on-lineHealth System Policy Manual.Confidentiality25