Your Right to Keep Your Health Care Private
You have the right to look at your own health care records. And you can choose who else can look at your records.
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.”
Your 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 health care providers can share your health information with other people.
Doctors who work in one health system or hospital may not share your health information with other doctors in another system or hospital without your approval.
If you go to the Emergency Room in a hospital, you might need to sign a release form so they can share your information with your doctors.
Doctors and other health care providers may share your information in a safe and secure system, called an electronic medical record. Another name for this system might be “EPIC” or “My Chart”.
Only your care team and those you give permission to may look at your health records.