5. Your Rights Regarding Your Medical Information

Ethics & Patient Rights: Lifespan Joint Privacy Notice

You have the following rights regarding the protected health information we maintain about you.

A. The Right to Request Restrictions—You have the right to request restrictions on uses and disclosures of your protected health information for treatment, payment and health care operations. We are not required to agree to your request, but if we do agree, we are bound by the restrictions, except in limited circumstances, such as if there is an emergency. In many cases, restricting a caregiver's access to protected health information is not in the best interest of the patient and could impede Lifespan operations. For this reason, in many cases, Lifespan will not agree to your request.

You may also request that we not release any part of your protected health information to family members or friends who may be involved in your care. Again, we are not required to agree to your request.

To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing to the Lifespan Privacy Officer, Physicians Office Building, Suite 240, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903.

B. The Right to Request to Receive Confidential Communication—We will accommodate reasonable requests to communicate protected health information to you at a certain location or in a certain way. For example, you may ask us to contact you at work, or at a location other than your home address. If possible, please make alternative location requests at your first contact or at the time of registration. However, you may make such requests anytime thereafter. Requests for alternative means of communication made after the first contact or registration must be made in writing to our Privacy Officer at this address.

C. Right to Inspect and Copy—You have the right to inspect and copy protected health information that may be used to make decisions about your care. Usually, this includes medical and billing records, but does not include psychotherapy notes, information gathered for research purposes, information compiled in reasonable anticipation of or use in a legal proceeding, and protected health information subject to any law that prohibits your access.

To inspect and copy protected health information that may be used to make decisions about you, you must submit your request in writing to our Privacy Officer at this address. If you request a copy of the information, we may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing or other supplies associated with your request.

We may deny your request to inspect and copy your protected health information in certain very limited circumstances. If you are denied access to your medical information, you may request that the denial be reviewed by another Lifespan health care professional. We will comply with the outcome of this review.

D. Right to Amend—If you feel that protected health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete; you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept.

To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing and submitted to our Privacy Officer at this address. In addition, you must provide a reason that supports your request.

We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request. In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:

• Was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment;
• Is not part of the protected health information kept by Lifespan;
• Is accurate and complete.

E. Accounting of Certain Disclosures—In general, you have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of your protected health information made in the six (6) years prior to the date the accounting is requested. However, many exceptions apply to this general rule. For instance, you do not have a right to receive an accounting for disclosures made for treatment, payment or health care operations purposes. You also do not have a right to an accounting for disclosures made (1) to you, (2) incident to permitted uses or disclosures (3) pursuant to an authorization from you, (4) for a hospital directory, (5) to family members or friends involved in your care, (6) for notification purposes, (7) for national security purposes, (8) to correctional or institutional or law enforcement officials that had custody of you at the time of disclosure, (9) to health oversight officials in certain situations, (10) made as part of a limited data set; or (11) disclosures made prior to April 14, 2003.

You have the right to receive specific information about those disclosures for which you do have a right to an accounting. The right to receive this information is subject to certain exceptions, restrictions and limitations. Your request must be submitted in writing to the Privacy Officer at this address. The first list you request within a 12-month period will be free. For additional lists, we may charge you the cost of providing this list.

F. Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice—You have the right to request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive this Notice electronically. Requests for paper copies may be obtained when registering at a Lifespan affiliate or can be requested, in writing, from the Privacy Officer. Get the address

Section 6. Minors and Personal Representatives