The friend of a nurse who works in an acute care hospital asks the nurse to review the adult daughter's electronic medical record (EMR) to determine if she is honestly disclosing her medical condition. The nurse's reply should include which information? Select all that apply.
Explanation & Rationale
A. EMR tracking alerts the hospital information systems of the nurse's attempts to access the record: Most EMR systems track and audit all access attempts, and unauthorized access would be detected and flagged for investigation. B. The daughter's permission needs to be obtained before the information can be shared by the nurse: Under HIPAA regulations, client consent is required before any health information can be disclosed to others, even family or friends. C. Review of the EMR violates client confidentiality and is not permitted legally or ethically: Accessing a medical record without a direct care-related purpose is a clear violation of confidentiality, professional ethics, and federal privacy laws. D. EMR safeguards prohibit access to medical records for personnel not involved in direct care of the client: Healthcare workers are only allowed to access information necessary for the direct care of clients to protect privacy and confidentiality. E. Encourage the friend to share her concerns with her daughter and other family members: Rather than breaching confidentiality, guiding the friend to address her concerns directly and privately with the daughter is the appropriate ethical action.