Ethics & Law · patient case question
Floodwater is entering the practice. What is the FIRST action?
Patient case: The business of the practice
Patient: Practice and population-level scenarios
Chief Complaint: Not applicable.
Background: A prescription is being written for prophylaxis. The practice insurance portfolio is under review. Rising floodwater is entering the building. A crown is being placed in a better material than quoted, at no extra charge. A patient irradiated for a head and neck cancer ten years ago requests an extraction and refuses radiographs. The local council is consulting on water fluoridation. A published cohort study is being appraised.
Findings: Not applicable.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Ensure personal and staff safety, then shut off electrical power before securing records and equipment
- A. CORRECT. LIFE SAFETY COMES FIRST, always. Water and live electricity together are lethal, so people are evacuated and power is isolated at the main breaker BEFORE anyone wades in or touches equipment. Only then does asset protection begin — and the highest-value asset is the PATIENT RECORDS, which are legally required, irreplaceable and the operational lifeline of the practice. In a modern office that usually means verifying that the offsite or cloud backup is intact rather than physically carrying charts.
- B. Documentation for the claim matters and should be thorough, but it happens once the situation is stable and safe to enter.
- C. Notification of the carrier follows, within whatever time limit the policy specifies. It is not the first action.
- D. Moving equipment is a legitimate asset-protection step, but it comes AFTER the power is isolated and people are clear. Doing it first is how staff are injured.
Note: The general emergency sequence for any practice disaster: PEOPLE, then HAZARDS, then RECORDS and assets, then documentation and notification. Every office should hold a written emergency plan naming who does what, and HIPAA specifically requires a CONTINGENCY PLAN for electronic records covering data backup, disaster recovery and emergency-mode operation — which is why the backup, not the filing cabinet, is the thing to verify.