Crafting a Professional Psychiatric Consultation or Accommodation Letter: A Guide for HIPAA Compliance

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:

Submit a psychiatric consultation letter. You must use a patient you created but remove all identifying information (names, places, etc.) so that it is HIPAA compliant.
Directions:
Throughout your career, you will often be asked to consult with patients and provide various letters. Some examples include a primary care provider who may ask you to see their patient who they feel is too young or too complex for them to manage. When they have referred this patient to you, it is a professional courtesy to write a letter thanking them for the referral, and explaining your diagnosis and treatment plans. Patients may ask you to write letters to the school or to their employer to excuse an absence or for school/ work accommodations. These are appropriate requests; however, you need to be aware that you must not violate HIPPA laws when writing these letters.
For your signature assignment, choose a patient that you have created to write a professional letter. The letter can either be
a consultation letter that you would send back to a primary care provider who referred a patient to you to update them on the status of the patient or
a school/ work for recommendations for a patient who needs special accommodations, FMLA, IEP, or 504.
Remember that no actual identifying information should be included in your submission.

HOW TO WORK ON THIS ASSIGNMENT (EXAMPLE ESSAY / DRAFT)

I frequently get requests from primary care doctors asking me to consult on their patients as a mental health specialist. I am aware that in most cases, this occurs because the patient is either too young or the patient’s case is too complicated for the primary care practitioner to handle. In these cases, it’s crucial to thank the referring doctor in writing and to give an update on the patient’s condition, diagnosis, and treatment options.

I get requests from patients to prepare letters for accommodations for school or employment in addition to consultation letters. These demands are proper, but it’s critical to check that the letters adhere to HIPAA regulations and respect the patient’s privacy.

I’ve decided to draft a consultation letter for a patient who was recommended to me by a primary care physician for this project. I am unable to reveal the patient’s identity, but I may talk about their symptoms and offer my suggestions for treatment.

The patient displayed signs of anxiety and sadness, including a sense of helplessness, a loss of interest in previously enjoyed hobbies, and trouble sleeping. The patient has the severe depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, according to my diagnosis following a thorough evaluation and study of the patient’s medical history.

I think this patient will benefit from a mix of medicine and counseling. I have recommended the patient to a therapist who specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy and has prescribed an antidepressant drug to treat the patient’s depressive symptoms.

As a mental health provider, I am aware of the significance of delivering consultation and accommodation letters in a timely and precise manner while still being conscious of HIPAA requirements. While I am unable to identify the patient in this letter, I do hope that my recommendations may assist the referring physician in managing the patient’s symptoms and delivering the necessary care.