What must the patient accounting of disclosures include?

The patient accounting of disclosures must include information about which disclosures require patient authorization. This is important because it ensures that the patient remains informed about when their confidential health information can be shared and under what circumstances. It serves to protect patient rights, aligning with regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which mandates that patients should have some control over their health information.

Understanding the requirement for patient authorization is critical to upholding privacy standards and maintaining patient trust in the healthcare system. Knowing when disclosures do not require authorization, such as for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, is equally essential but falls outside of what must be included in the accounting of disclosures itself. The emphasis is placed here on the necessity of patient consent for certain disclosures, which is the cornerstone of confidentiality in healthcare.