FIVE STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION
April 10–16 Is National Health Information Privacy and Security Week

CHICAGO, April 8—Personal health information is a valuable resource. Not only to you, but the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who provide your treatment and care. “Throughout the healthcare industry—in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other healthcare settings—health information management (HIM) professionals are managing and protecting your personal health information and medical records. Working to make sure your information is kept private, secure, and in accordance with federal and state laws,” states Mervat Abdelhak, PhD, RHIA, president of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

According to Abdelhak, there are also steps that you, the patient, can take to ensure the protection and confidentiality of your personal health information:

1. Read your healthcare provider’s and health plan’s Notice of Privacy Practices. This notice informs you about your rights and how they may use your personal health information.
2. Talk to your healthcare provider and health plan if you have any concerns about the confidentiality of your health information. Find out how they store your health information (paper or electronic) and what safeguards are used.
3. Read any authorization forms before signing them and ask questions if you don’t understand. They include specific language defining what sort of information should be shared, and with whom. The authorization should specify who is to receive your health information and the purpose of its use.
4. Know what health information is being collected about you and by whom. Federal privacy laws give you the right request restrictions on the use and disclosure of your health information for treatment, payment, or notification purposes.
5. Be cautious before giving your information on Web sites, phone surveys, or in health screening questionnaires. Know how the information may be used or disclosed.

April 10 – 16 is the 2nd annual National Health Information Privacy and Security Week. Sponsored by AHIMA, the week is designed to raise awareness among the public about the importance of personal health information privacy and security. For more information about your personal health information privacy rights, visit www.myphr.com.

AHIMA is the national association of HIM professionals. AHIMA's 52,000 members are dedicated to the effective management of personal health information needed to deliver quality healthcare to the public. Founded in 1928 to improve the quality of medical records, AHIMA is committed to advancing the HIM profession in an increasingly electronic and global environment through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning. For information about the association, go to www.ahima.org.