THIS NOTICE
DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU CAN
ACCESS YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION.
PLEASE REVIEW THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY.
Introduction
At
Diagnostic Imaging Associates, P.A., we are committed to treating and using your
protected heath information responsibly.
This Notice of Health Information Practices describes the personal
information we collect, and how and when we use or disclose this information.
It also describes your rights as they relate to your protected health
information. This notice is
effective April 13, 2003, and applies to all protected health information as
defined by federal regulations.
Understanding Your Health Record/Information
Each time
you visit Diagnostic Imaging Associates, a record of your visit is made.
Typically, this record contains our symptoms, 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, a means of communication among the many health
professional who contribute to your care, a legal document describing the care
you received, a means by which you or a third-party payer can verify that
services billed were actually provided, a tool in educating health
professionals, a source of data for medical research, a source of information
for public health officials charged with approving the health of this state and
the nation, a source of date for our planning and marketing, a tool we can
assess to help us continually improve the care we render and the outcomes we
achieve.
Understanding what is in your medical record and how this information is used
helps you: ensure its accuracy, better understand the circumstances under which
health information can be accessed and make more informed decisions when
authorizing disclosure to others.
Your Health Information Rights
Although
your health record is the physical property of Diagnostic Imaging Associates,
the information belongs to you. You have the right to:
·
Obtain a
paper copy of this Notice of Information Practices upon request
·
Inspect and
copy your health record as provided for in 45 CFR 164.524
·
Amend your
health record as provided in 45 CFR 164.528
·
Obtain an
accounting of disclosures of your health information as provided in 45 CFR
164.528
·
Request
communications of your health information by alternative means or at alternative
locations
·
Request a
restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information as provided by
45 CFR 164.522
·
Revoke your
authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that
action has already been taken
Our Responsibilities
Diagnostic
Imaging Associates is required to:
·
Maintain the
privacy of your health information
·
Provide you
with this notice of 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
Diagnostic
Imaging Associates reserves the right to change our practices and to make the
new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain.
Should our information practices change, we will send a revised notice to the
preferred mailing or e-mail address you've supplied us.
Diagnostic
Imaging Associates will not use or disclose your health information without your
authorization, except as described in this notice.
We will also discontinue use or disclosure of your health information
after we have received a written revocation of the authorization according to
the procedures included in this authorization.
For More Information or to Report a Problem
If you have
questions or need more information, please contact the practice's Privacy
Officer, Donna Burris at (302) 993.2330 ext. 211.
If you
believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with
Diagnostic Imaging Associates' Privacy Officer or the Office for Civil Rights,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint with either the
Privacy Officer or the OCR. The
address for the OCR is listed below:
Office for
Civil Rights
U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services
200
Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 509F,
HHH Building
Washington,
D.C. 20201
Examples of Disclosures for Treatment, Payment, and Health Operations
We will use your health information for treatment.
For example: Information obtained by a technician, physician, or other member of
your health care team will be recorded in your record and used to determine the
most appropriate course of treatment. Your physician will document in your
record his or her expectations of the members of your health care team. Members
of your health care team will then record the actions taken and observations,
helping the physician to know how you are responding to treatment.
We will also provide your physician or a
subsequent health care 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 information for regular health operations.
For example: Members of the medical staff, the risk or quality improvement
manager, or members of the 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 health care and service we provide.
Business Associates:
There are some services provided in our organization through contacts with
Business Associates. Examples include data storage companies, collection
agencies, and couriers. When these services are contracted, we may disclose your
health information to our Business Associates so they can perform the job we’ve
requested. 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 relevant health
information to a family member, 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 whose 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.
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.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
We may disclose to the FDA health information related to adverse events with
regard to 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, information necessary for your health and the
health and that 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 or a 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.