Patients have all rights to ask for a written notice about how their health information is used and shared, and to view their medical records. They can request a copy of their file, and also request that any mistakes be corrected. In most cases, health care providers must produce these documents within 30 days of receiving the request, but may charge reasonable fees to cover any expenses associated with making copies, if these are requested by the patient. They may also use HIPAA obedient outside services to produce these copies on their behalf. Health care providers who specialize in mental health are specifically exempted from the requirement to disclose patient information. In most cases, patients have to be notified if their files are leaked or stolen, but there are some exemptions to these rules. Certain parties are exempted from HIPAA requirements, which mean some medical information, may be shared without a patient’s knowledge in limited circumstances.
Data encryption technology protects EMR while they are stored and while they are being transferred, ensuring that only the