Health Information Management

NY Supreme Court allows defense to question treating physicians

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, February 7, 2005

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In a malpractice case in New York state, the state Supreme Court granted the request of defendants Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic, Zbigniew Lukawski, MD, and Robert Knapp, MD, for signed HIPAA-compliant medical authorization forms allowing defense counsel to interview the plaintiff's treating physicians, according to the Daily Record of Rochester.

The judge required the following conditions:

  • Defense counsel must obtain a HIPAA-compliant authorization separate from all other authorizations
  • Authorizations must state, in bold, that the purpose of the disclosure is not at the plaintiff's request and that "the purpose of the information is to assist the defendant in the defense of a lawsuit brought by the plaintiff"
  • Authorizations must include the name and business address of the person to whom the healthcare provider can give an interview
  • Each interview shall have a separate authorization and cannot be combined with a subpoena

The judge refused to allow defense counsel to interview nonparty treating physicians. The defense counsel agreed to the outlined conditions.



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