Patients may or may not be allowed to review their own health care records in accordance with state law. Minor children may also have the right to keep their records concealed from their parents. This is especially true when regarding treatment for STDs, contraception, etc. Some information may be need to be released outside of the health care entity, to authorized parties, in accordance with law, regulation, contractual agreement, and under rules specified in organizational procedures. While slide 9 is displayed, remind students that the patient's right to privacy may have first been officially recognized by Hippocrates some 2400 years ago.
Information is subject to a variety of threats.
Confidentiality and patient privacy is at risk when information is accessed or possessed by an unauthorized party, or is inappropriately disclosed. Health care information that is inaccurate or is missing can lead clinicians and staff to make decisions with possibly tragic consequences . Some security incidents are purely accidental and result from human error, lack of training, or lapses in judgement. Many health care organizations have been sued by patients who contended that their personal or medical information was inappropriately disclosed or used. Costs of this type of litigation are not only measured in dollars, but also in the bad public relations and loss of consumer confidence which result.