You, or anyone to whom you give permission, or your legal representative, have the right to read or get a copy of your medical information. Your medical record is the physical property of the individual hospital or physician practice.

Partners has put in place detailed policies regarding access to medical records by our staff and employees and has carefully outlined the circumstances under which your medical information may be released to parties outside the hospital or physician practice. These policies conform to state and federal law and are designed to safeguard your privacy. Our staff and employees are trained in the appropriate use of medical information and know that it is available to them only to continue to provide care to you or for other limited but legitimate reasons. A violation of confidentiality or the failure of an employee to protect your information from accidental or unauthorized access will not be tolerated. This may include the employee being fired from his or her job.

We do not allow others outside Partners HealthCare to access your medical information, unless we have the appropriate authorization to do so. We will request your authorization to release information at your first visit or admission. Some laws prevent certain types of patient information from being released without specific patient permission. Examples include, but are not limited to, communications between patient and psychotherapist or social worker, sexually transmitted disease test results or visit notes, HIV tests and related information, substance abuse rehabilitation treatment records, and sexual assault treatment records.

Note, however, that the law requires some information to be disclosed in certain circumstances. This includes mandatory reports of abuse of children, elderly people, or persons with disabilities. Medical records are sometimes used for reasons other than patient care. Records are periodically reviewed to evaluate the quality of care, or to be sure that the Partners organizations follow the rules of regulatory agencies such as Medicare or the Departments of Mental and of Public Health. Anyone reviewing records must follow the same confidentiality laws and rules required of all healthcare providers. Patient records are valuable tools used by researchers in finding the best possible treatments for diseases and medical conditions.

Researchers must follow the same rules and laws that other health care workers must follow to ensure the privacy of patient information. Information that may identify you will not be released to anyone outside Partners without your written approval.In all research conducted by Partners, concern for your privacy and your well-being is our first priority. If you have questions about the privacy of your medical records, please speak with your physician or case manager.