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Privacy Policy

 

Types of Information Collected: Name, email address, phone number, and physical address.
Method of Information Collection: Website.
Purpose of Data Collection: Appointment scheduling, rescheduling, cancellation, and office contact.
Data Security Measures: We use secure email and limited database access is implemented to safeguard customer data from unauthorized access or misuse.
Data Sharing: Customer data will be shared with third parties, only when consent is obtained in advance.
User Rights:  You have the right regarding your personal information, such as accessing, updating, or deleting your data.
Contact Information: please see our contact details to address any inquiries or concerns regarding your privacy.

Phone numbers collected with SMS consent, will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for rent/marketing purposes under any circumstances.

 

HIPAA NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES NEPHROLOGY CONSULTANTS, P.A. 

NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION
 

We are committed to protecting the privacy of your personal health information (PHI). This Notice of Privacy Practices (Notice) describes how we may use within our practice or network and disclose (share outside of our practice or network) your PHI to carry out treatment, payment or healthcare operations. We may also share your information for other purposes that are permitted or required by law. This Notice also describes your rights to access and control your PHI. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your PHI. We will follow the terms outlined in this Notice. We may change our Notice, at any time. Changes will apply to all PHI. Upon your request, we will provide you with any revised Notice by posting the new Notice in our office, making copies of the new Notice available in our office or by mail, and/or posting it at www.nephrologydelaware.com.

 

Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information

Your PHI may be used and disclosed by your physician, our office staff, and others outside of our office who are involved in your care and treatment for the purpose of providing health care services to you, such as, we may provide to a physician to whom you have been referred for evaluation to ensure that they have the necessary information to diagnose or treat you. We may share or disclose your PHI:

  • with another physician or health care provider who, at the request of your physician, becomes involved in your care by providing assistance with your diagnosis or treatment to your physician.
  • with people outside of our practice who may provide medical care for you such as home health agencies.
  • to obtain payment for services such as to others to bill or collect payment for services. There may be services for which we share information with your health plan to determine if the service will be paid for, such as Billing companies, Insurance companies, health plans, Government agencies to assist with the qualification of benefits, and our contracted Collection agencies.

We may use or disclose, as needed, your PHI to support the business activities of this practice which are called health care operations. Examples are:

  • training students, other health care providers, or ancillary staff such as billing personnel to help them learn or improve their skills;
  • for quality improvement processes which look at the delivery of health care and for improvement in processes which will provide safer, more effective care for you or use of information to assist in resolving problems or complaints within the practice.

We may use and disclose your PHI in other situations without your permission:

  • If required by law: The use or disclosure will be made in compliance with the law and will be limited to the relevant requirements, such as, we may be required to report suspected abuse or neglect.
  • Public health: The disclosure will be made for the purpose of controlling disease, injury or disability and only to public health authorities permitted by law to collect or receive PHI. We may also notify individuals who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition.
  • Health oversight agencies: Oversight agencies include government agencies that oversee the health care system, government benefit programs, other government regulatory programs and civil rights laws. We may disclose PHI for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, and inspections.
  • Legal proceedings: To assist in any legal proceeding or in response to a court order, in certain conditions in response to a subpoena, or other lawful process.
  • Police or other law enforcement purposes: The release of PHI will meet all applicable legal requirements for release.
  • Coroners, funeral directors: For identification purposes, determining cause of death or for the coroner or medical examiner to perform other duties authorized by law.
  • Medical research: When their research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols.
  • Special government purposes: For national security purposes, or if you are a member of the military, to the military under limited circumstances.
  • Correctional institutions: If you are an inmate or under custody of law which is necessary for your health or the health and safety of other individuals.
  • Workers’ Compensation: As authorized to comply with workers’ compensation laws.

 

Other uses and disclosures of your health information.

Business Associates (BA): Services provided through the use of contracted entities. We will release only the minimum amount of PHI necessary so that the BA can perform the identified services. We require the BA(s) to appropriately safeguard your information. Examples of Business Associates include billing companies or transcription services. 

Health Information Exchange: We may provide your PHI to other healthcare providers outside of our facility who are involved in your care, such as DHIN and CRISP. 

  • DHIN, Delaware Health Information Network, is a regional network of healthcare providers in Delaware and Maryland who share patient data electronically, which reduces the likelihood of duplicate medical testing, increases the quality of care, and provides physicians access to a more complete array of patient health records. Please see the DHIN website at http://www.dhin.org/consumer for information about how to ‘opt-out’ of DHIN services.
  • CRISP, Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients, Inc., is a regional health information exchange serving Maryland and the District of Columbia. As permitted by law, your PHI will be shared with them in order to provide faster access, better coordination of care, and to assist healthcare providers in making more informed decisions. You may 'opt-out' and disable all access to your PHI available by calling 1-877-952-7477, or by completing and submitting an Opt-Out form to CRISP by mail, fax or through their website at www.crisphealth.org.

Treatment alternatives: We may provide you notice of treatment options or other health related services that may improve your overall health.

Appointment reminders: We may contact you as a reminder about upcoming appointments or treatment.

We may use or disclose your PHI in the following situations UNLESS you object: 

  • We may share your information with friends or family members, or other persons directly identified by you at the level they are involved in your care or payment of services. If you are not present or able to agree/object, the healthcare provider will determine if it is in your best interest to share the information. For example, we may discuss post procedure instructions with the person who drove you to the facility unless you tell us specifically not to share the information.
  • We may use or disclose PHI to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative or any other person that is responsible for your care of your location, general condition or death.
  • We may use or disclose your PHI to an authorized public/private entity to assist in disaster relief efforts.

The following uses and disclosures of PHI require your written authorization:

  • Marketing
  • Disclosures for any purposes which require the sale of your information
  • Release of psychotherapy notes: This does not apply to our Practice 

All other uses and disclosures not recorded in this Notice will require a written authorization from you or your personal representative. Written authorization explains how you want your information used and disclosed. Your written authorization may be revoked at any time, in writing. Except to the extent that your doctor o r this practice has used or released information based on the direction provided in the authorization, no further use or disclosure will occur.

 

Your Privacy Rights

You have certain rights related to your PHI. All requests to exercise your rights must be made in writing to: 

Nephrology Consultants, PA, Attn: Manager, 2006 Limestone Road, Suite 7, Wilmington, DE 19808.

  • Right to Access: You have the right to see and obtain a copy of your PHI that is contained in a designated record set for as long as we maintain the PHI. If requested, we will provide you a copy of your records in an electronic format. There are some exceptions to records which may be copied and the request may be denied. We may charge you a reasonable cost-based fee for a copy of the records.
  • Right to Request Restrictions: You may request for us not to use or disclose any of your PHI for treatment, payment or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree with these requests. If we agree to a restriction request we will honor the restriction request unless the information is needed to provide emergency treatment. We must accept a restriction request to restrict disclosure of PHI to a health plan if you pay out of pocket in full for a service or product unless it is otherwise required by law.
  • Right to Request Confidential Communications: You have the right to request for us to communicate in different ways or in different locations. We will agree to reasonable requests. We may also request an alternative address or other method of contact such as mailing information to a post office box.
  • Right to Amend: You have the right to request an amendment of your PHI if you feel that the information is not correct along with an explanation of the reason for the request. In certain cases, we may deny your request for an amendment at which time you will have an opportunity to disagree.
  • Right to Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to a list of people or organizations who have received your health information from us. This right applies to disclosures for purposes other than treatment, payment or healthcare operations. You have the right to obtain a listing of these disclosures that occurred after April 14, 2003. You may request them for the previous six years or a shorter time frame. If you request more than one list within a 12-month period you may be charged a reasonable fee.
  • Right to Notification of Breach: You have a right to be notified of a breach of your PHI.
     

Complaints

If you think we have violated your rights or have questions about this notice, please contact our Manager at (302) 355-2383. You may also complain to the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated by us. If you file a complaint, we will not retaliate against you for filing the complaint.