Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
07:48
Working with Human Tissues for Translational Cancer Research
Published on: November 26, 2015
Do characteristics of HIPAA consent forms affect the response rate?
Dragana Bolcic-Jankovic1, Brian R Clarridge, Floyd J Fowler
1Center for Survey Research, University of Massachusetts, and Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02125-3393, USA. dragana.bjankovic@umb.edu
Medical Care
|February 7, 2007
Summary
Hospital authorization forms that clearly state the institution and do not request Social Security Numbers (SSNs) increase patient consent rates for accessing protected health information. Simplifying forms improves patient cooperation.
Area of Science:
- Health Law and Policy
- Patient Privacy
- Informed Consent
Background:
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule mandates patient authorization for accessing protected health information.
- Understanding factors influencing patient consent is crucial for researchers and healthcare institutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how specific characteristics of hospital authorization forms impact patient consent rates.
- To identify form design elements that either facilitate or hinder the process of obtaining patient authorization for medical record review.
Main Methods:
- A telephone survey was conducted with previously hospitalized patients from 16 Massachusetts hospitals between January and August 2004.
- Respondents who agreed to authorization were mailed their hospital's form; return rates were analyzed based on form characteristics.
- Key measured characteristics included form length, number of fields, institutional name clarity, witness requirement, and Social Security Number (SSN) request.
Main Results:
- A 50.3% return rate was achieved for 1021 mailed authorization forms.
- The likelihood of form return was significantly influenced by the requirement of an SSN and the clarity of the hospital's name.
- Logistic regression confirmed that SSN requirement and hospital name clarity were significant factors, alongside age and gender.
Conclusions:
- Authorization forms should clearly identify the originating institution to enhance patient trust and understanding.
- Forms should be designed for ease of comprehension and avoid requesting sensitive, non-healthcare-related information such as SSNs.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Standards of Care II
Nurses bear specific legal responsibilities under several federal statutes, including:
01:06Legal Guidelines for Documentation
The legal guidelines for nursing documentation are essential for ensuring accurate, professional, and ethical recording of patient care. The guidelines are discussed here:
01:21Types of Reports II: Incident or Occurrence Report
An Incident or Occurrence Report in a healthcare setting is a crucial document used to record any unexpected occurrence that may or may not have affected a patient, employee, or visitor. Such reports are critical to improving patient safety and include all details leading up to and including the event.
Purposes:
In the healthcare industry, reports play a crucial role in documenting incidents within an agency. The primary objective of these reports is to ensure patient safety, uphold the...
Purposes:
In the healthcare industry, reports play a crucial role in documenting incidents within an agency. The primary objective of these reports is to ensure patient safety, uphold the...
02:16Surveys
Often, psychologists develop surveys as a means of gathering data. Surveys are lists of questions to be answered by research participants, and can be delivered as paper-and-pencil questionnaires, administered electronically, or conducted verbally. Generally, the survey itself can be completed in a short time, and the ease of administering a survey makes it easy to collect data from a large number of people.
01:21Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
When it comes to infants and young children, they are typically administered smaller doses of medication in comparison to adults. This is primarily because their organ functions still need to fully develop, meaning their bodies are not as efficient at metabolizing or eliminating drugs. Additionally, their blood-brain barrier is more permeable than in adults. As a result, high concentrations of drugs can easily penetrate the central nervous system (CNS), potentially leading to neurological...
01:25Ethical Standards I
The American Nurses Association (ANA) created and implemented the first nationally accepted Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. The Code of Ethics is a living document regularly updated by the ANA and establishes an ethical standard that is non-negotiable for nurses in all roles and settings.
The Code of Ethics provisions outline the nurse's duty to the patient, the healthcare team, the profession, and society. The Code's fundamental principles include advocacy,...
The Code of Ethics provisions outline the nurse's duty to the patient, the healthcare team, the profession, and society. The Code's fundamental principles include advocacy,...