Madeline, the hospital release-of-information clerk, receives a subpoena duces tecum issued by a local attorney. During the validation process, Madeline realized that the patient had not included a date when they signed the authorization. She promptly called the attorney’s office and informed the attorney’s legal assistant of the missing element on the authorization. The assistant assures Madeline she will take care of it. Within five minutes, Madeline receives a fax from the legal assistant. It is the same authorization with a date written in. The date would make the authorization valid, as it is within the time period required by state law. Madeline suspects the legal assistant wrote the date on the authorization.
Is there an ethical violation, dilemma, or concern and if so, what is it? What should Madeline do?
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