Question

Which of the following is an example of a violation of an adult patient's confidentiality?

While reviewing a claim, a billing and coding specialist reads the diagnosis before realizing that the patient is a neighbor.
A billing and coding specialist queries the provider about a diagnosis in a patient's medical record.
The provider uses their home phone to discuss the patient's care with nursing staff.
Patient information was disclosed to the patient's parent without consent.

Answer 1

"Patient information was disclosed to the patient's parent without consent."

Explanation: An adult's health information may not be shared with others (including parents) without the patient's permission unless the parent is an authorized representative or another legal exception applies. The other scenarios describe permissible, job‑related uses or communications for treatment/billing.