Protecting Your Confidential Health Information is Important to Us!
Dear Patients and Friends:
This is not meant to alarm you! Quite the opposite! It is our desire to communicate to you that we are taking the new Federal Law (HIPAA-Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) very seriously. We do not want you to delay needed treatment because you are afraid your personal health history might be unnecessarily made available to those outside of our office staff.
The most significant variable that has motivated the federal government to legally enforce the importance of privacy of health information is the rapid evolution of computer technology and its use in healthcare. The government has appropriately sought to standardize and protect the privacy of the electronic exchange of your health history. This has challenged us to review not only how your health information is used within our computers but also with the internet, telephone, facsimile machines, photocopiers and chart folders. This has been an important exercise for us because it has disciplined us to put into writing the policies and procedures we use to ensure the protection of your health history whenever it is used.
We want you to know these policies and procedures which we have developed to make sure your health information will not be shared with anyone who does not require it. Our office is subject to State and Federal law regarding the confidentiality of your health information and in keeping with these laws; we want you to understand our procedures and your rights. We value your friendship and confidence.
Respectfully,
S. Brian Crum, D.C. & staff