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The JCAHO weighs in on patient privacy at one Michigan facility

Ambulatory Safety Monitor, February 19, 2003

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Honoring patient privacy was a hot spot during McLaren Medical Management Inc.'s July 2002 JCAHO survey.

Patient privacy extended beyond the exam room to the common areas. Surveyors kept a sharp eye on staff members in the reception and discharge areas to make sure that no one, aside from the patient in question, heard about a bill or account.

"They wanted to ensure that others couldn't hear staff talking over the counter," says Bob Patton, McLaren's vice president of operations. "We grilled our staff on privacy, so if they feel there are some issues to discuss, they bring patients back to an enclosed area. The surveyors liked what they saw."

The JCAHO suggested that the center place signs at the reception and discharge counters stating that if a patient is concerned about confidentiality, they should inform staff to provide other means for this conversation to take place.

"It's a quick way to convey to patients that if they feel uneasy, we will make it right and more confidential for them," Patton says. "This is important because everyone has a different interpretation of what they deem to be confidential."

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