When we receive a request for records, I’ve often said that we become investigators. Sometimes there is information given that is unclear, or the person who signed the authorization is not the patient, and we’re not given any further information. Before we send PHI it is our job to do a little      
detective work to make sure we have a clear picture of what records are to be sent, and to ensure we send the records to the appropriate place and or persons authorized to receive the information. A request and authorization can be looked at as the human body, with the required information and components being the parts of the body making it complete.

• Face and Head

The name, date of birth, and or social security number on the request and authorization, which we use to identify the patient.

•  Arms and Hands

The entity requesting the records, and where the records are being requested to go to: as they are the individuals reaching out for the information.

•  Body

The information being asked for in the body of the request and on the patient’s authorization, this I considered to be the internal organs of the request.

•  Legs and Feet

The required HIPAA components and statements on the patient’s authorization serve as the legs, and the patient’s signature and date signed serve as the feet.

Without these, the authorization just won’t stand up