Question

What patient rights are identified in a Notice of Privacy Practices? Which right under HIPAA do you consider the most important?

Answer 1

Notice of Privacy Practices for Protected Health Information gives:

• Fundamental right to individuals for being informed of the privacy practices related to their health plans and about their health care providers,
• be informed of their privacy rights about their complete personal health information
• Health plans and covered health care providers have to develop and distribute a notice that provides a clear explanation of these rights and practices
• Presence of adequate notice of how a covered entity may use and disclose protected health information about an individual
• Notice should contain his or her rights and the covered entity’s obligations with respect to that information
• Notice should include the covered entity’s legal duties with respect to the information
• And details of whom individuals can contact for further information

First two are basic and quite important because all concerned individuals should know-how on privacy issues and concerns, and it prompts them to have discussions with their health plans and health care providers and exercise their rights so that they can understand legal concerns and importance of their own health information to avoid any misunderstandings in future and how these service provides could use their personal information and how they should protect it from any misuse.