Patient health care information involves any type of information or documentation related to a patient's medical care or insurance claims. All patient health care information is confidential between the patient and the physician.
Who Is Covered?
Patient health care information involves anyone who receives medical or related care in a hospital, doctor's office, dialysis clinic, nursing home, clinic or their own home.
Staff
Only certain staff members in a medical setting are permitted to observe patient charts. This includes physicians, nurses, medical assistants, medical insurance companies and medical records clerks. Referrals to other physicians should be done in a confidential manner on a need-to-know basis only.
Types
Types of health care information include patient charts, test results, surgeries, medical histories, psychological evaluations, procedures, diagnoses of illness and insurance company information. Private personal information such as address, phone, Social Security number and employer are also part of a patient's health care information.
HIPAA
HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 Privacy Rule. This rule protects all patient-related health care information and enforces strict penalties such as fines and jail time on those who abuse it.
Violating HIPAA
A violation of HIPAA can occur at a doctor's office or in a hospital, or even when a medical worker discusses confidential patient information outside of the workplace.
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