HIPAA Guidelines
Frequently Asked Questions
When may we use and share your health information?
We may use health information about you or your child without your written permission for the limited purposes of:
Treatment
This involves providing, managing, and coordinating care to meet your needs. It may also involve sharing information with other providers, such as your own doctor or caregivers at other institutions.
Payment
We share your health information with your insurance company as needed to bill for your care.
Health-care operations
We use medical information to assess and improve quality of care and train our staff. We can also:
- send announcements or call you about appointment reminders;
- contact you about patient care issues and treatment choices;
- and tell you about services that may benefit and/or interest you.
When else may we share your health information outside Dana-Farber without your written authorization?
- to allow business associates to assist us with treatment, payment, or health-care operations;
- to prevent or control disease, such as reporting infectious diseases to boards of health;
- to communicate with law enforcement officers in certain situations;
- unless you tell us otherwise, to communicate with family and friends involved in your care; and
- when necessary, to comply with a subpoena, court order, or other legal requirement.
When must we obtain your written authorization to use and share your health information?
We need your written authorization to share your health information concerning certain types of care, such as:
- treatments for sexually transmitted diseases;
- HIV testing and/or test results;
- genetic testing and/or test results;
- substance abuse rehabilitation; and
- in general, sensitive information such as sexual assault counseling records or communication between you and a mental health provider.
