Notice of Privacy Practice
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review carefully.
Understanding Your Health Record/Information
Each time you visit the Vision Plus Medical Group, a record of your visit is made. Typically, this record contains your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnoses, treatment and future care or treatment. This information, often referred to as your health or medical record, serves as a:
- Basis for planning your care and treatment
- Means of communication among the many health professionals who contribute to your care
- Legal document describing the care you received
- Means by which a third-party payer can verify that services billed were actually provided
- Tool for routine healthcare operations such as assessing quality and reviewing the competence of healthcare professionals
- Source of data for medical research
- Source of information for public health officials charged with improving the health of the nation
- Source of data for facility planning and marketing
- Toll with which we can assess and continually work to improve the care we render and the outcomes we achieve
- Understanding of what is in your record and how you health information is used to help you to :
- Fourier-based wavefront algorithms:
- Ensure its accuracy
- Better understand who, what, when, where, and why others may access your health information
- Make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosure to others
Your Health Information Rights
Although your health record is the physical property of the Vision Plus Medical Group, the information belongs to you.
You have the right to:
- Request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information as provided by 45 CFR 164.522. Please note that Vision Plus Medical Group Is not required to agree to the restrictions requested.
- Obtain a paper copy of the notice of information practices upon request
- Inspect and copy your health record as provided for in 45 CFR 164.524. (We will charge you $15.00 for copies, postage and an additional $1.00 per page for each color copy if you require it.)
- Amend your health record as provided in 45 CFR 164.528
- Obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information as provided in 45 CFR 164.528
- Request communications of your health information by alternative means or at alternative locations
- Revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that action ha already been taken
Our Responsibility
- Maintain the privacy of your health information
- Provide you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you
- Abide by the terms of this notice
- Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction
- Accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations
We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. Should our information practices change, we will mail a revised notice to the address you’ve supplied us.
We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization, except as described in this notice.
For More Information or to Report a Problem
If you have questions and would like additional information, or if you believe your privacy rights have been violated, Please contact our office at (714) 491-7000, or you can file complaint with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.
Disclosures for Treatment, Payment, and Health Operations
We will use your health information for treatment.
Information obtained by an Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, Nurse, or other Vision Plus Medical Group employee will be recorded in your record and used to determine the course of treatment that should work best for you. He will document in your record his expectations, actions taken, and his observations. In that way, your surgeon will know how you are responding to treatment.
We will use your health information for payment.
A bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used.
We will use your health information for regular health operations.
Members of the medical staff, the risk or quality improvement manager, or members of the quality improvement team may use information in your heath record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others like it. This information will then be used in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the health care and service we provide.
Business Associates
There are some services provided in our organization through contacts with Business Associates. Examples include diagnostic services, certain laboratory tests, and a copy service we use when making copies of your health record. We may also send you to a specialist should your medical condition require it. When these services are contracted, we may disclose your health information to our Business Associates so that it can perform the job we’ve asked it to do and bill you or your third-party payer for services rendered. To protect your health information, however, we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information.
Research
We may disclose information to researchers when their research has been approved by an institutional review beard that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.
Marketing
We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment health related benefits and services and may be of interest to you.
Fund raising
We may contact you as part of a fund-raising effort.
Worker’s compensation
We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to worker’s compensation or other similar programs established by law.
Public Health
As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.
Correctional institution
Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof health information necessary for your health and health and safety of the other individuals.
Law enforcement
We may disclose health information for all enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena.
Effective Immediately
