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Notice of Privacy
Practices
CONTINUUM
3003 South Loop West Suite, 475
Houston TX, 77054
Phone: 713-383-0888
Fax: 713-383-0895
This notice
describes how medical information about you may be used and
disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please
review it carefully.
We are required by law to provide
you with this notice that explains our privacy practices with regard
to your
medical information and how we may use and disclose your protected
health information for treatment, payment, and for health care
operations, as well as for other purposes that are permitted or
required by law. You have certain rights regarding the privacy of
your protected health information and we also describe those rights
in this notice.
Ways in Which We May Use and Disclose
Your Protected Health Information:
The following paragraphs describe different ways that we use and
disclose your protected health information. We have provided an
example for each category, but these examples are not meant to be
exhaustive. All of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose
your health information fall within one of these categories.
Treatment. We will use and disclose your protected
health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your health
care and any related services. We will also disclose your health
information to other physicians who may be treating you.
Additionally we may from time to time disclose your health
information to another physician whom we have requested to be
involved in your care. For example – we would disclose your health
information to a specialist to whom we have referred you for a
diagnosis to help in your treatment.
Payment. We will use and disclose your protected
health information to obtain payment for the health care services we
provide you. For example — we may include information with a bill to
a third-party payer that identifies you, your diagnosis, procedures
performed, and supplies used in rendering the service.
Health Care Operations. We will use and disclose your
protected health information to support the business activities of
our practice. For example -– we may use medical information about
you to review and evaluate our treatment and services or to evaluate
our staff’s performance while caring for you. In addition, we may
disclose your health information to third party business associates
who perform billing, consulting, or transcription, or other services
for our practice.
Other Ways We May Use and Disclose
Your Protected Health Information:
Appointment Reminders. We will use and disclose your
protected health information to contact you as a reminder about
scheduled appointments or treatment.
Treatment Alternatives. We will use and disclose your
protected health information to tell you about or recommend possible
alternative treatments or options that may be of interest to you.
Others Involved in Your Care. We will use and disclose
your protected health information to a family member, a relative, a
close friend, or any other person you identify that is involved in
your medical care or payment for care.
Research. We will use and disclose your protected
health information to researchers, provided the research has been
approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the
research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of
your health information.
As Required by Law. We will use and disclose your
protected health information when required to by federal, state, or
local law.
To Avert a Serious Threat to Public Health or Safety.
We will use and disclose your protected health information to public
health authorities permitted to collect or receive the information
for the purpose of controlling disease, injury, or disability. If
directed by that health authority, we will also disclose your health
information to a foreign government agency that is collaborating
with the pubic health authority.
Worker’s Compensation. We will use and disclose your
protected health information for worker’s compensation or similar
programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
Your Health Information Rights
Although your health record is the physical property of the
practitioner or facility that compiled it, the information belongs
to you. You have the right to:
A Paper Copy of This Notice. You have the right to
receive a paper copy of this notice upon request.
You may obtain a copy by asking our receptionist at your next visit
or by calling and asking us to mail
you a copy.
Inspect and Copy. You have the right to inspect and
copy the protected health information that we maintain about you in
our designated record set for as long as we maintain that
information. This designated record set includes your medical and
billing records, as well as any other records we use for making
decisions about you. Any psychotherapy notes that may have
been included in records we received about you are not available for
your inspection or copying, by law. We may charge you a fee for the
costs of copying, mailing,
or other supplies used in fulfilling your request.
If you wish to inspect or copy your medical information, you must
submit your request in writing to our Privacy Officer:
Attention: Privacy Officer
3003 South Loop West Suite 475
Houston Texas 77054
Phone:
(713) 383-0888.
You may mail your request, or bring
it to our office. We will have 30 days to
respond to your request for information that we maintain at our
practice site. If the
information is stored off-site, we are allowed up to 60 days to
respond but must inform you of this delay.
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