Mercy Health Love County - Content

Patient Rights

The privacy of patients’ health information is protected through hospital/clinic policies on confidentiality and by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

Among other rights, hospital patients have the right to decide whether to be listed in the directory of admissions available in the lobby and whether to release information about his or her condition to family members or the public.

The hospital’s health information management representative reviews confidentiality provisions with patients of legal age and competent to decide.

Hospital/clinic policies hold employees accountable for preventing unauthorized disclosure of information about patients. Violations should be reported to the compliance/privacy officer of the hospital.