As a dental affected person, you could have the correct to anticipate that your private info might be stored confidential. This implies it doesn’t fall into the flawed fingers and isn’t used for any functions aside from those who have your consent. In reality, affected person privateness is so necessary that it’s protected by legislation, particularly by way of the Well being Insurance coverage Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
What’s HIPAA and what does it require of dentists?
HIPAA is a federal legislation that units nationwide requirements for the safety of well being info. Protected well being info, sometimes called PHI, is any info in your well being report that can be utilized to determine you, together with earlier or present diagnoses, together with private info like your title, tackle or social safety quantity.
HIPAA legislation applies to all healthcare suppliers, together with dentists. Because the American Dental Affiliation explains, HIPAA requires dentists to take steps to guard the privateness of their sufferers’ well being info. These steps embrace:
- Getting your written consent earlier than utilizing or sharing your well being info for any function aside from remedy, cost or healthcare operations.
- Offering you with a duplicate of your privateness coverage.
- Providing you with entry to your well being info upon request and in a well timed method.
- Conserving your well being info confidential and safe. This contains not posting your private well being info on public boards, even when we’re responding to a evaluate you could have left about your expertise.
What are you able to do to guard your affected person privateness?
There are a number of issues you are able to do to guard your privateness as a dental affected person. These embrace:
- Studying your dentist’s privateness coverage.
- Asking your dentist questions on how your well being info might be used.
- Understanding who’s allowed to obtain your well being info.
- Signing solely these consent varieties that you just absolutely perceive and agree with.
- Verifying the supply earlier than sharing any private well being info.
- Refraining from posting personal well being info on on-line message boards or social media.
As dental suppliers, prioritizing affected person privateness helps preserve a relationship with you that’s constructed on belief. In case you have any questions on how your personal well being info is getting used and guarded, don’t hesitate to contact our group!