Which practice helps protect patients’ identity at the reception?

• A. Share patient information with other departments
• B. Post full patient names in the lobby
• C. ID theft prevention
• D. Allow unrestricted access to charts

Answer: (C)

Protecting patients’ identity at the front desk means actively preventing unauthorized access to and disclosure of personal information. The practice of ID theft prevention is the best fit because it focuses on verifying who is asking for information, controlling what is disclosed, and keeping information secure in both paper and electronic form. At reception, this translates to verifying the patient’s identity with two identifiers before sharing details, handling sensitive information in a private area rather than in public, avoiding the display of full names or other identifying data in visible spaces, securing charts and logging off computers when not in use, and restricting access to records to only those who need them. These measures significantly reduce the risk of someone impersonating a patient or accessing confidential information. By contrast, sharing information with other departments, posting full patient names in the lobby, or allowing unrestricted access to charts would increase exposure and compromise privacy.