The first point to mention is that despite the countrywide Release of Information Initiative, the procedures for ROI can still be affected by state legislation. Healthcare providers should ensure compliance with local privacy laws. Thus, state laws should be taken into account when organizing and implementing ROI practices. The second point to remember is that under any circumstances, health organizations are not allowed to obfuscate or withhold any relevant information from those who are legally authorized to receive it.
Management of health information provided should include quality control at each stage of monitoring, processing, and tracking of the request. To prevent mistakes, before proceeding to process the request, staff are required to check whether the content of the information conforms with regulations, additional authorization is needed, the identity of the patient is verified. Successful ROI process involves attention to productivity, turnaround times, and backlog management. Productivity is facilitated by the use of electronic systems to collect requests and deliver information. Turnaround standards are set internally and contingent on the type of request. Backlog management ensures timely fulfillment of requests, especially those that concern continuity of care. Overall, the biggest challenge is to navigate between compliance with legal requirements, protecting the patient’s privacy, and maintaining the proper quality of patient care (Bock et al., 2008). Although there is no uniform approach to organizing ROI, the article supplies a list of tasks to be taken to arrange acceptable and compliant ROI performance. Regular auditing and soliciting feedback from requestors are recommended to evaluate timely and accurate disclosure of information.
Reference
Bock, L. J., Demster, B., Dinh, A. K., Gorton, E. R., & Lantis Jr, J. R. (2008). Management practices for the release of information. Journal of AHIMA, 79(11), 77-80.