HIPAA & Patient Privacy

The Cancer Institute of Dallas is committed to providing you with the highest quality of care. An essential part of this commitment is our dedication to protecting the privacy and the confidentiality of your medical information.

Our patient privacy policies have been developed in response to federal regulations that enforce the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, known widely by the acronym HIPAA. The new regulations, effective April 14, 2003, set forth certain legal requirements regarding the ways healthcare providers must protect your medical information.

To comply, the Cancer Institute of Dallas must provide you with a Notice of Privacy Practices, which describes how your medical information may be used and disclosed. This notice also discusses your rights as a patient under the law.

At the Cancer Institute of Dallas, you will receive this notice the first time you seek care at the Institute or any of our physician offices or facilities, and you will be asked to sign a form acknowledging that you have received this document.

Because the new regulations apply to all healthcare providers, ours may not be the only notice you will receive. Though the format may vary, you may receive similar notices from other healthcare entities providing care or service such as doctors, pharmacies, nursing homes and healthcare plans.

For your convenience, the following is a summary of the key provisions of our notice.

The Cancer Institute of Dallas may use and disclose your medical information to:

• Medical staff and personnel who provide you with care.
• Remind you about an appointment.
• With your permission, speak with designated family or friends involved in your care.
• Ensure that we follow the rules of regulatory agencies regarding quality of care and effective use of resources.
• Comply with legal requirements, subpoenas or court orders for mandatory reporting, such as with cases involving child or elder abuse.
• Research personnel as they develop and seek out the best possible treatments for diseases and medical conditions. All researchers must follow specific regulations to ensure the privacy of patient information.
• Tell you about care-related benefits or services that may be of interest.
• Request payment from your insurance company.
• Include information in our hospital directory such as name and room number for the benefit of your visitors or members of the clergy.
• Your medical record is the physical property of the Cancer Institute of Dallas, but the information contained in the record belongs to you. You have important rights concerning your medical information.
  

As our patient, you have the federally protected right to:

• See and obtain a copy of the information used to make decisions about your care.
• Ask us to amend the medical information we have about you, if you feel the information we have is wrong or incomplete.
• Ask us to restrict or limit the medical information we use and share about you.
• Ask us to communicate with you about medical matters in a certain method or location.
• Obtain a list of individuals or entities that have received your medical information from the Cancer Institute of Dallas for reasons other than treatment, payment or healthcare operations.
• Submit a complaint.

If you have any questions or would like to report a concern or problem regarding the handling of your medical information, please contact us immediately.