Patient health information, also known as PHI, refers to information contained in medical records and/or information that you may exchange with any medical professional. Personal health information is specific to you as a person and could contain medical information and psychiatric information. The relationship you have with a medical professional and the information that is shared or obtained through procedures and evaluations is protected by law.
Function
Your personal health information serves as a tool for medical providers to use in assessing what your particular treatment needs are. This information can include anything from demographic information to family history of illness to personal preferences. These details can provide a picture for health care professionals about who you are as a person, what your needs are currently and what you may be at risk for in the future.
Types
The first type of personal health information includes medical records from any type of doctor or specialist. These records may include diagnoses, X-ray films and treatment methods. The second type of personal health information includes psychiatric records which can include psychiatric evaluations, therapy notes and psychological testing results. As a consumer you have the right to request a copy of your complete medical record from either your medical doctor or mental health professional. They can charge a reasonable fee for copying your records.
Time Frame
Once you have established a relationship with a health care professional and they have maintained records on you, they are required to keep them at least seven years. Providers keep records on file even after you have completed treatment for many reasons. First, you may return in a short time and having your information available could be useful to them. Second, most health care organizations are affiliated with a professional body that they are monitored by and that performs yearly audits. In an audit, records, current and closed, are reviewed to ensure that the appropriate services were rendered.
Misconceptions
You may think that your personal health information is protected under any circumstance and can never be shared without your consent. This is a common misconception and more specifically relates to psychiatric health information. As stated above, there are laws that protect personal health information, namely HIPPA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. However, confidentiality can be broken in cases when you are going to harm yourself, you are going to harm someone else and/or you have have abused/neglected a child or elderly person.
Considerations
Some things to consider when you are at your next visit to the office are: Do the staff leave your paperwork laying around? Is any personal health information exchanged in the hallway where others may hear? If you have any concerns, share them with your health professional. And, most importantly, read your patient and privacy rights.
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