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• NEW! - Mandatory Compliance Initiative

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• Mandatory Compliance Initiative

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Employee Access & Disclosure

• I have access to healthcare information systems that include patient scheduling and billing information; may I schedule my own appointments and review my outstanding invoices?
• May I use my access privileges on healthcare information systems to assist my relatives or friends with their appointments?
• How will anyone know what I access?
• Do I need to worry every time I access patient accounts?
• I believe one of my co-workers has accessed my medical information inappropriately. What should I do? Should I confront the person?
• If I receive a phone call from a newspaper, or other media outlet requesting information about a specific patient(s) or other information related to the University of Miami, should I provide the information being requested?
• I think someone has obtained my system password. What should I do?
• If a patient calls and informs me that they believe someone is using their personal or medical information or that they are a victim of identity theft, what should I tell them?
• May physician's offices use patient sign-in sheets or call out the names of their patients in the waiting rooms?
• May healthcare providers place medical charts on exam room doors?
• May we fax patient medical information to another physician's office?
• What is minimum necessary?
• May a covered entity disclose PHI to law enforcement without a signed authorization from the patient?
• May I leave a message on a patient's answering machine?
• Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule permit doctors, nurses, and other health care providers to share patient health information for treatment purposes without patient authorization?
• If I receive an authorization for release of records and it is not our form, may I release using this document?
• What should we do with completed HIPAA attachments we receive?
• May I take pictures of a patient?

	Please also see:
	Security Awareness Tips Newsletters Training Materials	Privacy Policies Security Policies Forms, Attachments, & Documents

If you have any questions that are not answered here or additional concerns about the handling of patient health information, please contact our office at 305-243-5000 or email hipaaprivacy@med.miami.edu.