How one system scripted religious questions
In early 2001, while serving as corporate director for registration and financial services at Crozer-Keystone Health System in Upland, PA, Anthony M. Bruno, MPA, MEd, developed a script for patient access representatives to use when asking patients about the release of information regarding religious preference.
"It was designed to ensure patient privacy in connection with the anticipated Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy regulation," says Bruno, who is now director of patient access and business operations at Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia. The new HIPAA privacy regulations become effective on April 14. The script is as follows:
Patient Religion Questions
Below, please find suggested scripting for addressing patient religion during the ED registration and admission process:
During the ED registration process, when addressing the religion question, please ask:
"Would you like us to list your religious affiliation?"
- If the answer is YES, list the appropriate religious affiliation.
- Then when completing the RLS? field, ask: "We are required to ask if you give us permission to release your religious affiliation to clergy. If your answer is YES, clergy MAY visit you during your stay, if you are admitted."
- Then enter YES, NO, or UNKNOWN to the question in the system "Do you give permission to release your religious affiliation to clergy? If you CANNOT obtain a definitive YES or NO response from the patient, enter UNKNOWN.
NOTE: If the patient answers the religious affiliation question . . .
- None specified (NON) . . . answer NO to the permission to release question.
- Unknown (UNK) . . . answer UNKNOWN to the permission to release question.
- Other (OTH) answer YES, NO, or UNKNOWN as appropriate, to the permission to release question.
During the ADMISSION registration process, when addressing the religion question please ask: "Would you like us to list your religious affiliation?"
- If the answer is YES, list the appropriate religious affiliation.
- Then when completing the RLS? field, ask: "We are required to ask if you give us permission to release your religious affiliation to clergy. If your answer is YES, clergy MAY visit you during your stay."
- Then enter YES, NO, or UNKNOWN to the question in the system "Do you give permission to release your religious affiliation to clergy? If you CANNOT obtain a definitive YES or NO response from the patient, enter UNKNOWN.
NOTE: if the patient answers the religious affiliation question . . .
- None specified (NON) . . . answer NO to the permission to release question.
- Unknown (UNK) . . . answer UNKNOWN to the permission to release question.
- Other (OTH) answer YES, NO, or UNKNOWN as appropriate, to the permission to release question.
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