A hospital physical therapist discovers that her child's day-care provider has been admitted to the same hospital and placed on contact isolation precautions. The therapist is concerned that her child may have been exposed to a health risk. What should she do?

• A. ask the day-care provider's nurse about the patient's medical status.
• B. contact the day-care provider's physician to ask about the diagnosis and the potential risk to the child.
• C. discuss her concerns with the day-care provider and ask whether the child requires screening by a physician.
• D. examine the pertinent portions of the day-care provider's medical record to obtain objective data on the diagnosis.

Answer: (C)

Handling potential exposure involves respecting privacy and sharing information only with those who have a legitimate need to know. The best course is for the therapist to talk directly with the day-care provider to discuss concerns and ask whether the child requires screening by a physician. This approach gathers necessary risk information through the appropriate person who has access to the relevant details, without inappropriately probing or disclosing medical information about the day-care provider. If the day-care provider indicates a potential exposure or need for evaluation, further steps can be taken with consent, such as coordinating with the child’s physician for screening. Directly requesting information from hospital staff about the provider’s diagnosis or examining the provider’s medical records would violate confidentiality, and thus are not appropriate first steps.