Renal TX Information Sharing

[Guest guest]

Hi Group - I would like some comment on the following issue that came

up in our HIPPA review session:

Is it a HIPPA violation if the coordinator handling the living non-

related donor tells the prospective recipient that there is good news

(meaning a good blood match)? In this scenario the donor coordinator

did not tell the recipient coordinator nor did the donor coordinator

discuss the outcome with the prospective donor first. The question

arises because the prospective donor and recipient are working

companions and friends. So there was lots of discussion about this

being like two related people where the lines are vague or non

existent. Any insight you can give would be helpful. Thanks so much.

Dusty Tyukody

Transplant Administrator

Medical University of Ohio at Toledo

dtyukody@...

[Guest guest]

For what it's worth, I ran into this as a case manager......and even

though the recipient and donor spoke at work, we were still obligated to

get HIPAA clearance....in other words a signed form by both to have

communication because they are/were not technically related.

Pam Cardaci, RN, BSBA, CPUM

Clinical Liaison to Patient Financial Services

Children's Hospital Boston

(fax)

Renal TX Information Sharing

Hi Group - I would like some comment on the following issue that came

up in our HIPPA review session:

Is it a HIPPA violation if the coordinator handling the living non-

related donor tells the prospective recipient that there is good news

(meaning a good blood match)? In this scenario the donor coordinator

did not tell the recipient coordinator nor did the donor coordinator

discuss the outcome with the prospective donor first. The question

arises because the prospective donor and recipient are working

companions and friends. So there was lots of discussion about this

being like two related people where the lines are vague or non

existent. Any insight you can give would be helpful. Thanks so much.

Dusty Tyukody

Transplant Administrator

Medical University of Ohio at Toledo

dtyukody@...

[Guest guest]

I would ABSOLUTELY consider this a violation, on many levels. We now have a live donor coordinator in addition to the pre-tx kidney & liver coordinators & while the prospective donor(s) are told whether he/she is compatible, the recipient NEVER gets that information-the recipient it told we cannot share that information & that it is a discussion he/she needs to have w/the donor(s). This allows for the donor, who might have experienced 'buyer's remorse' after having the blood drawn & waiting for the results, to have an easy out by saying they weren't compatible (of course, the donor is also told repeatedly by the donor coordinator, surgeon, & hepatologist/nephrologist caring for him/her, which are not the same as the ones caring for the recipient, that we will be happy to give him/her a 'medical out' @ any time if he/she has 2nd thoughts).

Secondly, if your donor coordinator is contacting the recipient, it nullify's the whole purpose of HAVING a donor coordinator-to provide the prospective donor w/his or her own clinical team focused solely on what is in the best interests of the donor.

J. Aguiar

Beth Israel Deaconess, Boston

From: TxFinancialCoordinators [mailto:TxFinancialCoordinators ] On Behalf Of ohgolfergirlSent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 9:23 AMTo: TxFinancialCoordinators Subject: Renal TX Information Sharing

Hi Group - I would like some comment on the following issue that came up in our HIPPA review session:Is it a HIPPA violation if the coordinator handling the living non-related donor tells the prospective recipient that there is good news (meaning a good blood match)? In this scenario the donor coordinator did not tell the recipient coordinator nor did the donor coordinator discuss the outcome with the prospective donor first. The question arises because the prospective donor and recipient are working companions and friends. So there was lots of discussion about this being like two related people where the lines are vague or non existent. Any insight you can give would be helpful. Thanks so much.Dusty TyukodyTransplant AdministratorMedical University of Ohio at Toledodtyukody@...