Our Practice POLICY ON CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY
Keeping your medical records confidential
What you need to know about our practice Confidentiality Policy
Our practice is committed to providing you with high quality health
care and to forming a relationship with you that is built on
trust. That means respecting your privacy and confidentiality of you
medical information. We protect your privacy and confidentiality
rights by creating and putting into practice policies and procedures
that allow access to your personal medical information only for
legitimate reasons.
Your medical record
As we provide your health care, we are required to maintain a complete
copy of your medical history, current condition, treatment plan and
all treatment given, including the results of all tests, procedures
and therapies. Whether this information is stored in writing, on a
computer, or other means, we will keep this information in a safe and
secure way that protects your privacy and confidentiality. Of course,
the physicians and other health care professionals who are involved in
your care need to access this information in order to provide
appropriate treatment for you.
Your medical information is private and confidential
You, or anyone to whom you give written permission, or your legal
representatives, have the right to read or get a copy of your medical
information. Your medical record is the physical property of our
practice.
How do we assure your privacy?
Our practice has put in place detailed policies regarding access to
medical records by our staff and employees and has carefully outlined
the circumstances under which your medical information may be released
to parties outside our practice. These policies conform with state and
federal law and are designed to safeguard your privacy. Our staff and
employees are trained in the appropriate use of medical information
and know that it is available to them only to continue to provide care
to you or for other limited but legitimate reasons. A violation of
confidentiality or the failure of an employee to protect your
information from accidental or unauthorized access will not be
tolerated. This may include the employee being fired from his or her
job.
We ask for your permission
We do not allow others outside our practice to access your medical
information unless we have the appropriate authorization to do so. We
will request your authorization to release information at your first
visit or admission. In addition, some laws prevent certain types of
patient information from being released without specific patient
permission. Examples include, but are not limited to:
Confidential details of:
Psychotherapy (from records of my treatment by a psychiatrist,
licensed psychologist or psychiatric clinical nurse specialist)
Other professional services of a licensed psychologist
Social Work Counseling/Therapy
Domestic Violence Victims' Counseling
Sexual Assault Counseling
HIV test results (Patient authorization required for EACH release
request.)
Records pertaining to Sexually-Transmitted Diseases
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Records
Please note, however, that the law requires some information to be
disclosed in certain circumstances. This includes mandatory reports of
abuse of children or elderly or disabled persons. Also, subpoenas or
court orders may compel the disclosure of confidential or privileged
health information in the context of a lawsuit or administrative
proceeding. Medical records are sometimes used for reasons other than
patient care. For example, records are periodically reviewed to
evaluate the quality of care, or to be sure that our practice follows
the rules of regulatory agencies for the efficient and effective
utilization of care such as Medicare, Department of Public Health, or
Department of Mental Health. Your insurance company may request
information that we are required to submit in order to provide and
bill for your care. Anyone reviewing records must follow the same
confidentiality laws and rules required of all health care
providers. Patient records are valuable tools used by researchers in
finding the best possible treatments for diseases and medical
conditions. All researchers must follow the same rules and laws that
other health care workers are required to follow to insure the privacy
of patient information. Information that may identify you will not be
released to anyone outside our practice without your written
approval. In all research conducted within our practice, concern for
your privacy and well-being is our first priority.
If you have questions... If you have questions about the privacy of
your medical records, please speak with your physician or a member of
his or her office staff, as appropriate.