Privacy Policy

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This Patient Privacy Policy (Policy) describes the manner in which The RKMedical Family Clinic (RKMFC) may collect, hold, use, disclose, and discard personal and medical data. By providing your information to RKMFC, you consent to its use, storage and disclosure in accordance with this Policy.

RKMFC may, from time to time, review and update this Policy to adapt to changing corporate practices, and to take into account new laws and technology. The use, storage and disclosure of all data held by RKMFC will be governed by PROSER’s most recent privacy policy.

Beginning this year 2024, The RKMFC will provide you with a Patient Privacy Policy that explains our privacy practices and your rights regarding your medical information. RKMFC will provide you with a copy of our Policy and ask you to acknowledge its receipt. RKMFC may need to change its privacy policies and practices from time to time and will update the Policy accordingly.

You may ask for a copy of our current Policy in any of the patient registration areas in any of our clinics  and it is publicly posted in the Clinic’s Reception Areas . You can also view and print a copy of our current Policy from our website.

The RKMFC  is required by law to:

• Maintain the privacy of your health information as outlined in this Policy.
• Provide you notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information.
• Follow the terms of the Policy that are currently in effect.

As patients of RKMFC,   you (or your authorized representative) have the following  rights to:

• Information: You have the right to be informed that your personal data will be, are being, or were, collected and processed, the purposes for which they will be, are being, or were processed and the duration for which the data will be kept.
• Access a Copy of Your Medical Information: You have the right to obtain a copy of your medical information. The medical records available to you are the following:
  • Clinical Abstract/Discharge Summary
  • Laboratory and other diagnostic results
  • Consent for  Procedure
  • Record of Operation or Delivery
  • Operative Technique
  • Medical Certificate
• Request a Correction to your Medical Record: If you believe that medical information the RKMFC has on file about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to correct the medical information in your records. If your medical information is accurate and complete, or if the information was not created by the Clinic, we may deny your request; however, if we deny any part of your request, we will provide you with a written explanation of our reasons for doing so. Requests to make a correction to your records must be in writing and must describe each item that you want changed and the reason you are requesting the change.
• An Accounting of Clnic Disclosures of your Personal Information: You have the right to request a list of how your personal information was shared for purposes other than treatment, payment and health care operations. Your health information on the other hand, will never be shared with third parties without your consent.
• Request Restrictions on Certain Uses and Disclosures of Your Medical Information: You have the right to request reasonable restrictions on certain uses or disclosures of your medical information.  Requests for restrictions must be in writing. In most cases, we are not required to agree to your requested restriction. However, if we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment or comply with the law.
  • Some examples of restriction requests that RKMFC cannot honor include:
    • Requests to restrict the  Medical Team (Medical Director and Asst. Medical Director) from accessing your medical information.
    • Requests restricting the clinic from giving your name to an insurance company that will be asked to pay a portion of your bill.
    • Request restricting the clinic from reporting your identity and condition to an agency or organization where the clinic is required by law to do so.
• Receive a Copy of the PROSER's Privacy Policy: You may ask for a printed copy of Patient Privacy Policy anytime you are visiting our facilities. The Policy is available in any of the Clinic’s Reception areas as well as the Head Office. You may also print a copy of the Policy by clicking on Patient Privacy Policy at our website.

The following parties share RKMFC's commitment to protect your privacy and will comply with this Policy:

• Any health care professional authorized to update or create health information about you.
• All departments and units of RKMFC and Garrod Inc as the clinic manager
• All employees, medical staff members and student interns of the RKMFC, Garrod Inc. and other partner service providers

Use and Disclosure of your Health Information

RKMFC uses and discloses your health information in the following ways:

• Treatment

Your health information is used to provide you with medical treatment or services. We may use and share health information about you with physicians, residents, nurses, technicians, medical students, or other RKMFC personnel involved in your care. Different departments of the Clinic and Garrod Inc. and other service providers may also share health information about you to coordinate the services you need, such as pharmacy, laboratory and other diagnostic examinations. We may also disclose your health information to providers not affiliated with the Clinic to facilitate care or treatment they provide you. In addition, we may provide access to your health information to affiliated entities and locations, such as affiliated provider groups for care coordination purposes.

Electronic exchange of health information helps ensure better care and coordination of care. The RKMFC participates in health information exchange(s) that allow outside providers who need information to treat you to access your health information through a secure health information exchange

• Billing and Collection

We may use and disclose your personal and health information to confirm, to bill and receive payment for health care services that we or others provide to you. This includes uses and disclosures to submit health information and receive payment from Philhealth, your health insurer, HMO, or other party that pays for some or all of your health care (payor) or to verify that your payor will pay for your health care. We may also tell your payor about a treatment you are going to receive to determine whether your payor will cover the treatment. For certain services, if your permission is needed to release health information to obtain payment, you will be asked for permission.

• Health Care Processes

We may use and disclose health information for health care operations. This includes functions necessary to run RKMFC or assure that all patients receive quality care. We may also share your information with affiliated health care providers so that they may jointly perform certain business operations along with RKMFC. We may combine health information about many of our patients to improve on the services being offered, to determine what services are no longer needed and to assess whether certain treatments are effective. We may share information with doctors, nurses, technicians, and other personnel for quality assurance and educational / research purposes. We may also compare the health information we have with information from other hospitals to see where we can improve the care and services we offer.

• Business Services

The Hospital contracts with outside entities that perform business services for us, such as the government entities, billing companies, HMOs, management consultants, quality assurance reviewers, accountants or attorneys, insurance companies and companies requiring Pre-
employment Check Ups and/or Annual Physical Examinations to applicants and/or employees. In certain circumstances, we may need to share your health information with a business associate so it can perform a service on our behalf. We will have a written contract in place with the business associate requiring protection of the privacy and security of your health information.

• Communication

We may use and disclose health information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment for care at the Clinic.  We will communicate with you using the information (such as telephone number and email address) that you provide. Unless you notify us to the contrary, we may use the contact information you provide to communicate general information about your care such as appointment location, department, date and time, and satisfaction surveys.

• Treatment Alternatives

We may use and disclose health information to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options or alternatives that may be of interest to you.

• Health-Related Benefits and Services

We may use and disclose health information to tell you about health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.

• Individuals Involved in your Care

We may release health information about you to a family member who is involved in your medical care. We may also give information to someone who helps pay for your care. This does not apply to patients receiving treatment for certain conditions, such as substance/alcohol abuse.

• Research and Training

As part of a network of healthcare establishments like clinics, pharmacies, etc.,  which act as training facilities for  medical residents, interns, clerks and students may use and access your health information. We will have a written contract in place with RKMFC and schools requiring protection of the privacy and security of your health information.

Being a training ground for future doctor specialists, RKMFC and Garrod Inc. has an active research program. We generally ask for your written authorization before using your health information or sharing it with others to conduct research. Under limited circumstances, we may use and disclose your health information without your authorization. In most of these latter situations, we will anonymize data so that no patient is individually identifiable. We will obtain approval through an independent review process to ensure that research conducted without your authorization poses minimal risk to your privacy.

• To Prevent a Serious Threat to Health or Safety

We may use and disclose certain information about you when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of others. However, any such disclosure will only be to someone able to prevent or respond to the threat, such as law enforcement, or a potential victim.

RKMFC does not require prior consent or authorization in the disclosure of your health information in the following instances:

• Public Health Activities
  • To prevent or control disease, injury or disability;
  • To report births and deaths;
  • To report the abuse or neglect of children, elders and dependent adults;
  • To report reactions to medications or problems with products;
  • To notify you of the recall of products you may be using;
  • To notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition;
  • To notify the appropriate government authority if we believe you have been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence; we will only make this disclosure when required or authorized by law;
  • To notify the Department of Health and other appropriate government entities when you seek treatment at The Medical City Clinic for certain diseases or conditions required to be reported by law.
• Health Oversight Activities

We may disclose your information to the Department of Health and other appropriate government entities for activities authorized by law such as audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure.

• Disputes and Lawsuits

To ensure the quality of care you receive while seeking treatment at RKMFC, we may access and disclose your health information if you have concerns or complaints regarding your medical management. We may also access and disclose your health information if you bring a lawsuit against RKMFC.

If you are involved in a lawsuit, we may disclose health information about you in response to a court or administrative order or in response to a subpoena, legally enforceable discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute.

• Other Disclosures and Uses Required By Law

We may also use or disclose health information about you when required to do so by laws not specifically mentioned in this Policy.

Changes to this Policy

RKMFC reserves the right to change our privacy practices and update this Policy accordingly. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed Policy effective for health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future.

Complaints and /or Questions about our Privacy Policy

The confidentiality of your health information is a significant part of the care we provide to you. If you have questions about this Policy or our privacy practices, or if you believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a written complaint with our Data Privacy Office via:

Email:  dataprivacy@garrod.ph

Telephone Number:   0917 149 8277