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HIM 1204 Medicolegal & Ethics in Healthcare Records

Evaluation of health care records as legal documents; special emphasis on policies and procedures concerning release of medical information and protecting patient confidentiality; principles and organization of the judicial system; health care fraud and abuse and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. Ethical issues in health care settings addressed. One classroom, two lab hours per week.

Division: Health Sciences
Department: Health Information Management
Repeatable Credit: No
Offered Online: Yes

Prereqs: NONE  

Outcomes

  • Interpret laws, regulations, standards, and ethics that govern and control the maintenance, disclosure, and re-disclosure of health information.
  • Apply appropriate statutory requirements and/or applicable standards of practice to requests for access, use and disclosure of highly sensitive information.
  • Appraise elements of negligence as related to standards of practice for the healthcare facility and the healthcare professions.
  • Interpret legal issues related to obtaining consent for treatment by healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals.
  • Apply ethical standards and moral responsibility for protecting the privacy and confidentiality of health information.
  • Report potential malpractice problems based upon legal principles and standards of practice for healthcare professionals and/or facilities.
  • Differentiate between the types and sources of law, which constitute a basis for the use of medical or health information in litigation.
  • Interpret laws, regulations, and standards of practice to legal aspects of quality improvement, risk management and corporate compliance programs.
  • Apply regulatory policies and procedures for access and disclosure of protected health information (PHI) as required by the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
  • Distinguish between the components of the court system and trial process as related to the use of medical or health information in litigation.
  • Assess general legal principles governing access to confidential health information in a variety of circumstances.
  • Assess the relevance of federal, state, and private sector initiatives related to the privacy, security, and confidentiality of health information technology.
  • Apply regulatory policies and procedures as related to the HIPAA Security Regulations.
  • Differentiate between types of evidence, process of e-discovery and the permissible use of evidence in litigation.
  • Distinguish between confidential and non-confidential information within a healthcare information system.
  • Demonstrate the personal behaviors, attitudes, and values consistent with and appropriate to the entry-level Health Information Management (HIM) professional.

Credit Hours: 2

Classroom Hours: 1
Lab Hours: 2