HIPAA Guidelines
The new federal guidelines that further protect the privacy of medical information are part of the comprehensive Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. These rules, which became effective in April, 2003, give patients more control over, and knowledge about, who is using their medical information and for what purpose. Dana-Farber already had many measures in place to protect patient privacy, but HIPAA has set broader standards and applied them to hospitals, health-care providers, and insurers nationwide.
Patients at Dana-Farber will receive, in person or by mail, a copy of our privacy notice. It describes how medical information about a patient may be used, and how one may access this information. Patients and parents of pediatric patients will also be asked to sign an acknowledgement that says they have received the privacy notice. Both of these documents have been provided below.
