This notice of privacy practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information to carry out treatment, payment or healthcare operations and for other purposes that are permitted or required by law. It also describes your rights to access and control your protected health information. "Protected health information" is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition and related healthcare services.
We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices. We may change the terms of the notice at any time. The new notice will be effective for all protected health information that we maintain at that time. We will provide you with any revised Notice of Privacy Practices when you call the office and request that a revised copy be sent to you in the mail or asking for one at the time of your next appointment.
Understanding Your Health Record/Information
Each time you visit a Healthcare provider, a record of your visit is made. Typically this record contains your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnosis treatment and a plan for future treatment. This information, often referred to as your health or medical record, serves as a:
~basis for planning your care and treatment
~Means for communicating among the many health professionals who contribute to your care
~legal document describing the care you received
~means by which you or a third party payer can verify that services billed were actually provided
~a tool for educating health professionals
~a source of data for medical research
~a source of information for public health officials charged with improving the health of the nation
~source of data for facility planning and marketing
~a tool with which we can assess and continually work to improve the care we render and the outcomes we acheive
Understanding what is in your record and how your health information is used helps you to:
~ensure its accuracy
~better understand who, what, when, where, and why others may access your health information
~make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosure to others.
Your Health Information Rights
Although your health record is the physical property of the healthcare practitioner or facility that compiled it, the information belongs to you. You have the right to:
~request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information
~obtain a paper copy of the notice of information practices upon request
~inspect and obtain a copy of your health record
~amend your health record
~obtain an accouting of disclosures of your health information
~request communication of your health information by alternative means or at alternative locations
~revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that action has already been taken.
Our Responsibilities
This organization is required to:
~Maintain the privacy of your health information
~provide you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you
~abide by the terms of this notice
~notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction
~accomodate resonable request, you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations.
We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization, except as described in this notice.
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with our privacy contact or with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint. You may contact our privacy contact Chris O'Gwynn by phone at (251)666-2002 or by E-mail at chris@affinityhm.com for further information about the complaint process. | Examples of Disclosures for Treatment, Payment and Health Operations
We will use your health information for treatment.
For Example: A bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used.
We will use your health information for regular health operations.
For example: Members of our Quality Performance Indicator team may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others like it. This information will then be used in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectivness of the healthcare service we provide.
Business Associates: there are some services provided in our organization through contracts with business associates. Examples may include a billing service or a copying service. When these services are contracted we may disclose your health information to our business associates so that they can perform the job we've asked them to do and bill you or a third-party for the services rendered. To protect your health information, however, we require our business associate to appropriately safeguard your information.
Notification: We may use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative or another person responsible for your care your location and general condition.
Communication with family: Health professionals using their best judgement, may disclose to a family member, other relative or close personal friend or any other person you identify, health information relavant to that person's involvement in your care or payment related to your care.
Research: We may disclose information to researchers when their research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocals to ensure the privacy of your health information.
Funeral Directors: We may disclose health information to funeral directors consistant with applicable law to carry out their duties.
Organ Procurement Organizations: Consistant with applicable law we may disclose healthcare information to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement banking or transplantation of organs for the purpose of tissue donation and transplant.
Marketing: We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
Fund Raising: We may contact you as a part of a fund raising effort.
Food ad Drug Administration (FDA): We may disclose to the FDA health information relative to adverse events with respect to food suppliments, product and product defects, or post marketing surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs, or replacement.
Workers Compensation: We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law.
Public Health: As required by law we may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controling disease, injury, or disability.
Correctional Institution: Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or agent thereof health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals.
Law Enforcement: We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena.
Federal law makes provisions for your health information to be released to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority or attorney, provided that a work force member or business associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct or have otherwise violated professional or clinical standards and are potentially endangering one or more patients workers or the public.
This notice was published and becomes effective on April 14, 2003 |