CENTER FOR EYE CARE
The purpose of this policy is to protect a patient's right to confidentiality and privacy. Patient information
will be regarded as confidential and will be available only to authorized users
for approved purposes. Every attending, staff, student, volunteer or contractor
will use only the minimum amount of confidential patient information to
accomplish their assigned duties. Access to confidential information is only
permitted for direct patient care, billing, or administrative hospital
operations (such as utilization review, quality assurance, or compliance
auditing), and may also include approved administrative / supervisory
functions, or with Institutional Review Board approval.
Confidential information
obtained either during assigned duties or by accident shall not be released to
any person or institution except in accordance with Center for Eye Care policy
and applicable federal and state laws. No Center attending, staff, student,
volunteer, vendor, or contractor shall seek access to confidential information
out of curiosity, for malicious purposes, or for financial gain. Discussion or consultation involving a
patient’s care of confidential information should be conducted in
private. Individuals not directly involved in the patient’s care should not be present without the patient's permission.
Policy Elements:
1.
Discuss patient
information with authorized personnel only and only in a private location where
unauthorized persons cannot overhear.
2.
Keep
medical records secure and unavailable to persons not involved with the
patient’s care.
3.
Follow specified
procedures for use of electronic information systems, including use of
individual passwords, logging off when finished, proper data entry techniques,
and protection of displayed or printed information from unauthorized users.
4.
Omit the patient's name and other unique identification when using case reports for educational purposes.
5. Verify with the patient what information may be given to the patient's family and friends with the patient’s knowledge and permission.
6.
Screen requests for
access to all patient information so that those items that are minimally
necessary are made available only to those persons who are legitimately
involved in patient care, billing or administrative Center operations.
7. Release patient medical records to
external sources only upon receipt of written authorization from the patient.
8. Use
appropriate information security procedures for users of electronic information
systems