Week 2 Discussion Question

Chapter 2

Instructions:

1. Choose one of the scenarios to respond to for this discussion forum. Refer to the AHIMA Code of Ethics to answer the questions about the scenario you choose. http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_024277.hcsp?dDocName=bok1_024277

2. For the scenario you select determine whether the HIM professional acted ethically or unethically.

3. Explain why the action was unethical. Which code of ethics (can be more than one) was breached?

3. Describe how the situation should have been handled in an ethical manner.

Scenarios to choose from:

Scenario 1
An HIM professional receives a call from a friend who asks whether she should consult with Dr. Doe, who is on the staff of the hospital. The HIM professional replies , “Heavens no, he doesn’t have many cases at the hospital, and his patients have a lot of complications after surgery. You’d better go to Dr. Roe; he’s wonderful.”

Scenario 2
An inexperience person has been employed to manage the health information department at a small neighboring clinic. This person asks an HIM professional for advice, who, believing he has more than enough to taking care of his own work, tells the person that he cannot help her.

Scenario 3
Returning from a meeting of the Surgical Case Review Committee, where he took minutes, an HIM professional informs his assistant, “You know Dr. Blank, the one who’s so ugly about completing her records — well, they said today that the big operation she did last month on Mary Jones was not necessary at all. They’re recommending that her surgical privileges be suspended!”

Scenario 4
At her exercise class, one of the member of the class expresses sympathy for an absent member who, she reports, has recently been hospitalized because of acute appendicitis. An HIM professional remarks, “It wasn’t appendicitis at all, but of course I can’t tell you what it was because that wouldn’t be ethical.”