From time to time, medical records will be subpoenaed for court cases. Therefore, it is important to know the policy that details how to respond to a subpoena for a patient’s medical records. How do you handle legal documents? Implement a policy and procedure on how to respond to a subpoena using legal terminology.

 

HS215 Medical Insurance and Billing

From time to time, medical records will be subpoenaed for court cases. Therefore, it is important to know the policy that details how to respond to a subpoena for a patient's medical records. How do you handle legal documents? Implement a policy and procedure on how to respond to a subpoena using legal terminology.

Handling of healthcare records is a critical concern because of the need to enhance privacy and involve patients in various decisions. The healthcare sector's handling of legal documents is another essential consideration that ensures compliance with every legal requirement for court cases (Narang & Johnson, 2019). Issuance of subpoenas leads to the need for understanding policies that should be implementable in offering information belonging to patients.

The first step of responding to a subpoena is checking for validity. Focusing on the person who signed this legal document is necessary as it ensures no forgery (Borkosky, 2020). There is also a need to contact the attorney or legal representative who signed the subpoena. After confirming the validity of this document, there is a need to inform patients whose information is of concern about the warrant. A healthcare provider can use phone calls or email in contacting patients about the legal requirement. Phone calls are the fastest preferable means of reaching out to patients regarding the subpoena.

After patients know they need to provide their information for legal purposes, the next step is to sign an authorization form. This policy consideration helps patients give authority to professionals in control of their data (Narang & Johnson, 2019). The professionals then have to write a statement and provide the suer to indicate that the patients have agreed to provide their information per the subpoena. The report should also mean that they and patients have filed a qualified protective order (Borkosky, 2020). This requirement helps to guarantee the proper use of the data. Obtaining the eligible protective order is the final step leading to healthcare professionals delivering the information to relevant parties.