I n order to comply with these laws and ensure patient confidentiality, the HIV Epidemiology Program has established comprehensive procedures to protect confidentiality and ensure data integrity. A. General procedures 1. All employees are required to attend an annual review seminar covering confidentiality and security policies and procedures. All HEP employees must sign the confidentiality agreement every twelve months. Access to the computer network is denied until an updated signature is obtained.
All records are strictly confidential.
Employee access to confidential records and databases which contain patient-specific identifiers is granted only to those employees who must have access to perform their assigned job duties. 4 All materials containing patient identifying information shall be maintained in restricted access areas. All records containing patient identifiers are kept in bar-locked files at all times, unless they are in the direct possession of an employee during office hours or during necessary field work. 6 Records containing patient identifiers are not left unattended at any time. All employees who work with confidential materials are required to secure these materials in bar-locked files at the end of each work day.