Requesting PHI
- The College of Optometry may receive requests for PHI to include the following uses:
- Continuity of care
- Requests for information to continue care with another provider or facility
- Government agencies
- Does not always require a patient’s authorization if the disclosure is permitted by regulation (Examples: disability determination, worker’s compensation)
- Patient
- Current patient or patient’s legal representative may request a copy of their healthcare record
- Past patient or patient’s legal representative may request a copy of their healthcare record if the last transaction was within the past seven years
- Law enforcement
- To provide information to assist with an investigation
- Third party reviewers
- Agencies that audit the quality and appropriateness of care and documentation for accurate payment
- Continuity of care
Processing a Request
- Before releasing any information, the College of Optometry staff will verify the following:
- The request is compliant with internal policies/procedures and both federal and state regulatory requirements
- The requestor has the authority to authorize the release
- The requestor can provide means of identification
- The request has a valid date
- Only the minimum necessary information from the Legal Health Record (LHR), a subset of the college’s Designated Record Set (DRS), is determined for release to requestor
- Information is released within 30 days of request and transaction documentation is maintained for Accounting Disclosure in the format requested