Patient Privacy Services

Our pledge to protect your privacy

Stanford Health Care, the "Hospital" values and is committed to protecting the privacy of health information we create or receive about you. Health information that identifies you ("protected health information," or "health information") includes your medical record and other information relating to your care or payment for care.

Our notice of privacy practices

The Hospital will provide you with a Notice of Privacy Practices – English version / Spanish version that explains our privacy practices and your rights regarding your health information. The first time you receive care on or after September 23, 2013, the Hospital will provide you with a copy of our current Notice and ask you to acknowledge its receipt. The Hospital may need to change its privacy policies and practices from time to time and will update the Notice accordingly.

You may ask for a copy of our current notice at any time in any of the patient registration areas throughout the Hospital, including clinics, and it is publicly posted in a number of places. You can also view and print a copy of our current Notice by clicking on Notice of Privacy Practices – English version / Spanish version.

Throughout these pages on patient privacy you may click on items that are in italics and underlined and an Adobe PDF file version of a document or form will open for your review or to be printed.

Your rights regarding health information about you

An important part of the Hospital's Notice is the section that explains your rights regarding your health information. Our Notice explains that you (or your personal representative) have the right to:

Inspect or copy

 

You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of the health information that may be used to make decisions about your care. Usually, this includes medical and billing records, but may not include some mental health information. We reserve the right to charge a fee to cover the cost of providing your health information records to you.

For more information of how and where to inspect or obtain a copy of your health information and print copies of the necessary forms, please click on Medical Records.

 

Request an amendment or an addendum:

If you believe that health information the Hospital has on file about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the health information. To request an amendment you must file an appropriate written request with the Health Information Management Services (HIMS) Department. In addition, you must provide a reason that supports your request. The Hospital can only amend information that we created or that was created on our behalf. If your health information is accurate and complete, or if the information was not created by the Hospital, we may deny your request to amend. If we deny your request, we will share with you in writing with our reasons for doing so. Requests to amend your health information must be in writing and we recommend, but do not require, that you use the Hospital's Request for an Addendum or Correction form. Your written request must describe each item that you want changed (for example: History and Physical on 3/1/2013 and Clinic Visit Note on 4/14/2013) and the reason you are requesting the change.

Even if we deny your request to amend, you have the right to submit a written addendum to the Health Information Management Services (HIMS) Department. Addendums may not exceed 250 words for each item or statement in your record you believe is incomplete or incorrect. Requests for an addendum must be in writing and we recommend, but do not require, that you use the Hospital's Request for an Addendum or Correction form.

Please send your request to Health Information Management Services - 450 Broadway, Mail Code 5200, Redwood City, CA 94063 or fax it to 650-725-9821. Copies of the request forms and assistance are also available at the Hospital's HIMS Department. The HIMS Department will acknowledge your request when it is received and process your request within sixty (60) days of receipt. In certain situations the HIMS Department may require an additional thirty (30) day extension to process your request.

An accounting of hospital disclosures:

You have the right to request an "accounting of disclosures" which is a list describing how we have shared your health information with outside parties. This accounting is a list of the disclosures we made of your health information for purposes other than treatment, payment, health care operations, and certain other purposes consistent with law. You may request an accounting of disclosures for up to six years before the date of your request. If you request an accounting more than once during a twelve month period, we will charge you a reasonable fee.

To request an accounting of disclosures, please print and complete the Request for Accounting of Disclosures Form. You may either mail the form to the HIMS Department at 450 Broadway, Mail Code 5200, Redwood City, CA 94063 or fax it to 650-725-9821. Copies of the Request Form and assistance are also available at the Hospital's Release of Information Office at 450 Broadway, Room C14, Redwood City, CA 94063.

Request restrictions:

You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures of your health information. For example, you may request that your name not appear in the Hospital's Patient Directory while you are here as an inpatient. Requests for restrictions must be in writing. In most cases, we are not required to agree to your requested restriction. However, if we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment or comply with the law. If we do not accept your request, we will reply to you in writing with the reason.

We are legally required to accept certain requests not to disclose health information to your health plan for payment or health care operations purposes as long as you have paid out-of-pocket and in full in advance of the particular service included in your request. If the service or item is part of a set of related services, and you wish to restrict disclosures for the set of services, then you must pay in full for the related services. It is important to make the request and pay before receiving the care so that we can work to fully accommodate your request. We will comply with your request unless otherwise required by law.

Examples of restriction requests that the Hospital cannot honor include:

  • Requests to restrict medical students or residents from accessing your health information.
  • Requests restricting the Hospital from giving your name to an insurance company that will be asked to pay a portion of your bill.
  • Requests restricting the Hospital from reporting your identity and condition to an agency or organization where the Hospital is required by law to do so.

Restrictions may be requested at any time. To make a restrictions request, please print and complete a Request for Restrictions Form. You may either mail the form to the SHC Privacy Office, 300 Pasteur Drive - MC 5780, Stanford, CA 94395-5202 or fax it to 650-723-3628. Copies of the Request Form and assistance are also available at the Hospital's Release of Information Office at 450 Broadway, Room C14, Redwood City, CA 94063. Alternatively, you may request restrictions during the registration process at the Hospital.

To terminate a restriction that the Hospital has accepted, send your request in writing to SHC Privacy Office, 300 Pasteur Drive - MC 5780, Stanford, CA 94395-5202 or fax it to 650-723-3628. Please include a copy of your original restrictions request or the date, patient name and medical record number that appeared on the accepted request.

The Hospital may terminate a restriction that it had previously accepted, but must inform you in writing of the termination. In this situation, the termination only applies to your personal health information created or received after you have been notified of the termination.

Request confidential communications:

You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information or medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work, rather than at your home. We will not ask you the reason for your request. We will work to accommodate all reasonable requests. Your request must be in writing and specify how and where you wish to be contacted.

To make a confidential communications request, please print and complete a Request for Confidential Communications Form. You may either mail the form to the SHC Privacy Office, 300 Pasteur Drive - MC 5780, Stanford, CA 94395-5202 or fax it to 650-723-3628. Copies of the Request Form and assistance are also available at the Hospital's Release of Information Office at 450 Broadway, Room C14, Redwood City, CA 94063. Alternatively, you may request confidential communications during the registration process at the Hospital.

To change or withdraw a prior request for confidential communications you must complete and submit a new Request for Confidential Communications Form and indicate that you are changing or withdrawing a prior request.

Receive a copy of the hospital's notice of privacy practices:

You have the right to a copy of the Hospital’s current Notice of Privacy Practices. It is available in registration areas and by clicking the link "Patient Privacy" on the bottom of our internet home page. You may also print a copy of the Notice by clicking on Notice of Privacy Practices – English version / Spanish version.

Additional information

For further information, please view these documents: