Whether working in an emergency room, in general medicine or dental healthcare, responding to requests from law enforcement agencies can feel intimidating but with some helpful tips, you can work through it methodically and without complications.
These requests can relate to urgent patient medical information or statements about the cause of injury/trauma and/or death and include relevant supporting documentation.
Using your codes of conduct, your legal responsibilities and privacy and confidentiality obligations as a guide, you should determine what information confided to you by your patient is permissible for submission.
Information ultimately provided needs to be accurate, factual, compatible with your qualifications, training and experience and in accordance with the law to minimise the potential for any medico-legal concerns. In the event, you are required to attend court and provide evidence, you must be well prepared and professional.
This session will be presented by Dr Owen Bradfield MIPS' new Chief Health Officer and Rob Perry, Solicitor with Perry Maddocks Trollope.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
• Discuss your legal obligations around release of patient information
• Identify your legal responsibilities when dealing with the law
• Reflect on your practice policies and guidelines around release of patient information
MIPS resources
- CSI: Law enforcement and the healthcare practitioner handout
- MIPS on Demand Online modules with CPD
