Protected Health Information (PHI)
Your personal health information is private and protected by law. This is called Protected Health Information or “PHI” for short.
The law that protects your personal health information (PHI) is called Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Most of the time, people just call this law “HIPAA.”
Paid staff are not allowed to share your personal health information with anyone unless you approve it.
Doctors and other health care providers can only share your personal health information with people you approve of, using a “permission to release information” form. You will need to sign this form before doctors and other healthcare providers can share your health information with other people.
Doctors and other healthcare providers may share your information in a safe and secure system, called an electronic medical record. Many people call this system “EMR.” It might be called “My Chart” too.
