# Review the timeline after protected health information is sent to the wrong recipient and determine the nurse's management responsibilities.

> source: MyMerci (mymerci.kr)  
> url: https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=568927&lang=en  
> language: en  
> subject: Confidentiality/Information Security  
> category: MOC

## Question

Review the timeline after protected health information is sent to the wrong recipient and determine the nurse's management responsibilities.

| Time | Data |
| --- | --- |
| 1010 | The nurse sends a discharge summary containing diagnosis, medications, and contact information through the secure messaging system. |
| 1013 | The nurse recognizes that a similarly named unintended recipient was selected. The message status shows delivered but unopened. |
| 1020 | The nurse uses the approved recall function, informs the privacy officer, and documents the recipients, information involved, timing, and containment steps without altering the medical record. |

Q1. How should the nurse classify the event at 1013?

A harmless clerical issue that requires no action because the message is unopened
A suspected unauthorized disclosure requiring prompt privacy and security response
A confirmed reportable breach whose legal status the nurse determines independently

Q2. Which response best addresses the immediate trend?

Delete the sent item from the nurse's mailbox and continue clinic work
Wait until the next shift to see whether the message is opened
Use approved containment steps and immediately report the facts through the organization's privacy process

Q3. Which outcome best demonstrates appropriate follow-through?

The nurse changes the recipient field in the original documentation so the error is no longer visible
The nurse asks the unintended recipient to keep the event private
The nurse personally decides that notification is unnecessary
The incident is documented, harmful effects are mitigated where practicable, and the privacy team completes the required risk assessment

## Explanation

Sending protected health information to an unintended recipient is an unauthorized disclosure that requires prompt action. The nurse should immediately follow organizational privacy and security procedures, contact the designated privacy or security resource, and attempt approved containment without altering or concealing the record. The privacy team determines whether the incident meets the legal definition of a breach and what notifications are required after a documented risk assessment. Deleting a sent message locally, asking the recipient informally to ignore it, or delaying until the next shift does not replace reporting and mitigation.

## In-depth explanation

Correct Answer
The event is a suspected unauthorized disclosure that requires immediate containment, internal reporting, and documented privacy risk assessment.

Why It Fits
The information reached someone who was not the intended treatment recipient, and HHS guidance requires identification, response, mitigation, and documentation of security incidents.

Clinical Picture
The error is recognized minutes after sending, creating an opportunity for rapid approved containment while preserving an accurate incident record.

Memory Link
Contain, report, document; do not conceal.

NCLEX Rule
Frontline staff report facts promptly; the designated privacy process determines breach status and notification duties.

Why the Alternatives Fail
Deleting a local copy does not recall the recipient's copy, and waiting or privately negotiating with the recipient can delay mitigation and undermine the audit trail.

Sources
1HHS HIPAA Breach Notification Rule
2HHS Security Incident Response FAQ
32026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan

## Clinical scenario

Outpatient clinic
A nurse sends a discharge summary through the clinic's secure messaging system. The nurse then notices that a similarly named person, rather than the intended specialist, was selected as the recipient.

## Key concepts

- **Unauthorized disclosure** — A use or disclosure of protected health information that is not permitted by the Privacy Rule or applicable authorization.
- **Mitigation** — Reasonable steps taken to reduce harmful effects after a privacy or security incident.
- **Risk assessment** — The documented evaluation used to determine the probability that protected health information was compromised and what notification is required.

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