Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to leave information on a patient’s voicemail or answering machine?

• Verify that you have the correct phone number.
• You should only leave a patient’s first name in a message - as an added precaution.
• Do not include the clinic or department name if it can identify the reason the patient is being seen.
• Do not leave the patient’s medical record number, lab results or the name of a medication in a message.
• Do not leave highly confidential information in a message (a mental illness or developmental disability, HIV/AIDS, communicable/venereal diseases, substance (e.g. alcohol or drug) abuse of an adult with a disability, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect, or genetic testing).