Privacy & Confidentiality

PURPOSE:

Patient Trust Healthcare Services will effectively and efficiently preserve and maintain the privacy and confidentiality of patient, staff and business entity information in compliance with applicable laws, regulations and standards.

DEFINITIONS:

v  Privacy:  An individual’s right to limit disclosure of personal information.

v  Confidentiality:  The safekeeping of data/information so as to restrict access to individuals who have need, reason and permission for such access. 

v  Protected Health Information:  Health information that contains information such that an individual person can be identified as the subject of that information.

POLICY:

v  Confidentiality of data and information within Patient Trust Healthcare Services, LLC applies across all systems and automated, paper and verbal communications, as well as to clinical/service, financial and business records and employee-specific information.

v  All new employees shall receive instructions about Patient Trust Healthcare Services, LLC Privacy and Confidentiality of Information policy and procedure during orientation.

v  Significant changes to Patient Trust Healthcare Services, LLC Privacy and Confidentiality of Information policy are communicated to staff members, including contracted personnel, in verbal and written formats.  These formats include in-service programs, staff meetings, memos, e-mails, etc.  Receipt of the information by staff members is documented by staff signatures (may include electronic signatures) and retained by the Agency. 

v  All patients' personal and health information and billing data is considered confidential and will be disclosed at the direction of Administration only when authorized to do so by the patient or his/her legal representative, when required by law or on a "need to know" basis as necessary to carry out the day to day business activities.

v  Patient information designated as “sensitive”, i.e., psychotherapy notes, HIV/AIDS diagnosis, will be disclosed at the direction of Administration only when authorized to do so by the patient or his/her legal representative, in response to a court order or when required to provide care, treatment or services.

v  All employees' personal data, personnel records, work related information and pay records are considered confidential to be disclosed at the direction of Administration only when authorized to do so by the employee or the employee's legal representative, when required to do so by law or on a "need to know" basis as necessary to carry out day-to-day business activities. 

v  All Agency business records and/or dealings are considered confidential to be disclosed only when authorized to do so by Administration when required to do so by law, or on a "need to know" basis as necessary to carry out day-to-day business activities. 

v  Home care medical records, personnel records, computerized data systems and billing records shall be protected from loss, alteration, unauthorized use or damage and stored in a locked, secure location.

v  Computer files are password protected against unauthorized use, alteration or damage.

v  Passwords are not to be shared and are not to be displayed.  Passwords are changed periodically at the discretion of Administration.

v  Patient, employee and company privacy is protected during performance improvement activities.

v  Information regarding patients shall not be displayed in areas that are available to the public and/or unauthorized personnel. 

v  All staff shall limit discussions of patient care, treatment and services to appropriate personnel within Patient Trust Healthcare Services, LLC and/or pertinent individuals under contract who have legitimate needs for accessibility of the information for delivery of care, treatment or services, effective functioning of the organization, research and/or education.