NCLEX-RNManagement of CareEasy
A client is admitted to a psychiatric unit for treatment of major depressive disorder. The client's adult daughter calls the nursing station and asks the nurse to describe her mother's diagnosis and current treatment plan. The client has not signed any authorization for release of information. Which response should the nurse give?
- ATell the daughter that information cannot be shared without the client's authorization, and offer to relay a message to the client
- BShare the diagnosis with the daughter but withhold details about the treatment plan
- CProvide general information since the caller is an immediate family member
- DAsk the daughter to submit a written request by fax before releasing any information
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Tell the daughter that information cannot be shared without the client's authorization, and offer to relay a message to the client
HIPAA protects client health information from disclosure to anyone, including family, without the client's authorization unless the client is incapacitated and disclosure is in their best interest. The nurse should protect confidentiality while still supporting communication by offering to relay a message.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Any disclosure of diagnosis without authorization violates confidentiality regardless of detail level.
- C. Being family does not automatically grant a right to protected health information.
- D. A written request does not substitute for the client's own authorization to release information.
HIPAA Confidentiality with Family
Protected health information cannot be disclosed to family members without the client's consent unless the client is incapacitated and disclosure serves their immediate best interest.
- Confidentiality applies even to close relatives
- Client authorization is required for disclosure
- Nurses can offer to relay messages without breaching privacy
- Exceptions exist for incapacitated clients needing emergency decisions
Memory trick: Family isn't a free pass to the file.