Doctor Patient Confidentiality in Arizona Healthcare
About Doctor Patient Confidentiality Laws
Your medical information is private. It is protected by as set of federal laws — the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) — that gives you access to your medical information while limiting others' access to it. As experienced medical malpractice attorneys, the lawyers at our Phoenix, Arizona, law firm — Harris Powers & Cunningham — are dedicated to protecting our clients' rights under the law.
Under HIPAA, most doctors, nurses, hospitals, clinics and nursing homes are required to keep your personal healthcare information private. Your healthcare information includes the information in your medical records. It also includes conversations your doctor has with other healthcare providers about your treatment as well as information in a hospital's or health insurer's computer system.
Keeping your healthcare information private means that it can not be given to others, including your employer, or used in any kind of marketing campaign. Doing so may be a violation of your rights.
Doctor-Patient in a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Doctor-patient confidentiality is a serious matter. When a doctor violates your privacy rights through disclosure of confidentiality, he or she is violating the law. However, if you file a lawsuit, like a medical malpractice lawsuit with Harris Powers & Cunningham, your doctor should honor your lawyer's requests for medical information if you or your legal guardian has signed a release of medical information authorization.
If you have more questions about doctor-patient confidentiality, please contact Harris Powers & Cunningham by calling 602.271.9344. Located in Phoenix, we are recognized as one of the premier medical malpractice law firms in Arizona. We offer free initial consultations.
