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This
notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed
and how you can get access to this information. Please review it
carefully.
If you have any
questions about this Notice please contact us. This Notice of Privacy
Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health
information to carry out treatment, payment or health care 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 health care services.
We are required to
abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices. We may change
the terms of our notice, at any time. The new notice will be effective
for all protected health information that we maintain at that time.
Upon your request, we will provide you with any revised Notice of
Privacy Practices by accessing our website IroquoisHomeCare.com,
calling the office and requesting 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, diagnoses,
treatment, and a plan for future care or treatment. This information,
often referred to as your health or medical record, serves as a:
- basis for planning your
care and treatment
- means of communication
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 in educating heath professionals
- source of data for
medical research
- 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 achieve
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 accounting of
disclosures of your health information
- request communications
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
- accommodate reasonable
requests 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. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.
Examples of Disclosures for Treatment, Payment and
Health Operations
We will
use your health information for treatment.
For example:
Information obtained by a therapist or other member of your healthcare
team will be recorded in your record and used to determine the course
of treatment that should work best for you. We may provide your
physician or a subsequent healthcare provider with copies of various
reports that should assist him or her in treating you.
We will
use your health information for payment.
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 improvement 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 effectiveness of the healthcare and service we
provide.
Business
associates: There are some services provided in our organization through
contacts with business associates. Examples include our billing service
and a copy service we use when making copies of your health record.
When these services are contracted, we may disclose your health
information to our business associate so that they can perform the job
we’ve asked them to do and bill you or your third-party payer for
services rendered. To protect your health information, however, we
require the 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 judgment, may disclose
to a family member, other relative, close personal friend or any other
person you identify, health information relevant 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 protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.
Funeral
directors: We may disclose health information to funeral directors
consistent with applicable law to carry out their duties.
Organ
procurement organizations: Consistent with applicable law, we may disclose
health 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 part of a fund-raising effort.
Food and
Drug Administration (FDA): We may disclose to the FDA health information
relative to adverse events with respect to food, supplements, 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 controlling
disease, injury, or disability.
Correctional
institution: Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution, we may
disclose to the institution or agents 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
provision 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.
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