Health Information Management

Q&A: Are poison control agencies covered entities?

HIM Connection, September 13, 2011

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Q: Are poison control agencies considered healthcare providers? Their staff members usually make follow-up calls regarding patients for whom they provide consultations, and we are not certain how much information we may share with them.

A: Generally, poison control agencies are not covered entities pursuant to HIPAA, but they are part of the treatment process. You may share information about the status of a patient for whom they've provided a consultation.

Editor’s note: Mary D. Brandt, MBA, RHIA, CHE, CHPS, vice president of HIM at Scott & White Healthcare in Temple, TX, answered this question in the September issue of Briefings on HIPAA.



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