Privacy Policy

Jefferson Healthcare is committed to protecting your privacy and the privacy of your health information. We understand that medical information about you and your health is personal and we are committed to protecting your medical information, whether documentation is by hospital or clinic personnel or by your personal care provider.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act gives Jefferson Healthcare the right to use and disclose your health information for treatment, payment, and certain health care operations purposes without specific authorization from you. We may disclose information without your authorization for several reasons. For example, your health information may be shared with other providers to whom you are referred and for reasons required by law. Beyond those situations, further explained in the Notice of Privacy Practices, we will ask for your written authorization before using or disclosing health information. If you sign an authorization to disclose information, you can later revoke it to stop future uses and disclosures.

Documentation

In an effort to better serve our patients by providing coordinated care within the health care system, Jefferson Healthcare has implemented a centralized documentation and management system. The system incorporates all of Jefferson Healthcare’s affiliated sites and practitioners. Members of your health care team have online access to your health information on a need-to-know basis. The goal of this collaborative project is to improve care for patients by using a central system to facilitate communication, synchronize care, and decrease potential sources of error. Information includes physicians’ office and hospital visits, nursing notes, lab and radiology results, and scheduling and billing information.

Medical Records

Medical records are maintained for all individuals seen in the hospital as inpatients, outpatients, and Emergency Room patients. For adults, records are maintained for 10 years beyond the last contact with the hospital. In the case of minors, records are maintained three years beyond the age of majority.

To request copies of your records, please fill out and return the Jefferson Healthcare Authorization to Release Information form. You will need to fill out the authorization completely. Please make sure that you provide us with the following information:

•  Unique patient identifiers (name and birth date)
• The name of the provider or organization authorized to make the disclosure (Jefferson General Hospital or a Jefferson Healthcare physician)
•  The name of the person or organization to whom we are to release information
•  A description of the specific information to be released
• A description of the purpose or need for information
• The signature of the individual (patient or legally authorized representative) and the date. If the signature is that of someone other than the patient, we will require specific documentation of that person’s right to consent, such as guardianship papers or documentation of status as executor of patient estate.