Eastern Washington Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Eastern Washington Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

SECURITY POLICY

It is the policy of EWCDHH that all personnel must preserve the integrity and the confidentiality of protected health information pertaining to our clients. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that EWCDHH and its officers, employees, and agents (this means volunteers, interns and Board or Committee members) have the necessary information to provide the highest quality services possible while protecting the confidentiality of that information to the highest degree possible so that clients do not fear to provide information to EWCDHH. To that end, EWCDHH and its officers, employees, and agents will--

1. Collect and use client information only for the purposes of providing services and for supporting the delivery, payment, integrity, and quality of those services. EWCDHH and its officers, employees, and agents will not use or supply individual client information for non-health care uses, such as direct marketing, employment, or credit evaluation purposes without the client's written informed consent.

2. Collect and use individual client information only--

a. To provide information, referral, educational and advocacy services to our clients.

b. With the individual's knowledge and consent unless otherwise allowed by law pursuant to EWCDHH Confidentiality Policy.

 

3. Recognize that information collected about clients must be accurate, timely, complete, and available when needed. EWCDHH and its officers, employees, and agents will--

a. Use their best efforts to ensure the accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of data and to ensure that authorized personnel can access it when needed.

b. Complete and authenticate client file records in accordance with the law and EWCDHH standards (See EWCDHH client file documentation and practice tips in 'Z' drive).

c. Maintain client records for the retention periods required by law and professional standards.

d. Not alter or destroy an entry in a client record, but rather designate it as an error while leaving the original entry intact and create and maintain a new entry showing the correct data.

e. Implement reasonable measures to protect the integrity of all data maintained about clients

 

 

4. Act as responsible information stewards provide both physical and electronic safeguards and restrictions that limit client record access to authorized personnel only. Consequently, EWCDHH and its officers, employees, and agents will limit access to client files and file room to authorized staff and interns only. No volunteer, Board of Director or Committee member, or other individual has access to EWCDHH paper or electronic client files. All individuals shall display appropriate access tags when in EWCDHH limited office areas or at interpreting assignments.

5. Recognize that, although EWCDHH owns the client record, the client has a right of access to information contained in the record. EWCDHH and its officers, employees, and agents will--

a. Permit clients access to their service records except when access would be detrimental to the client, as determined by the EWCDHH Executive Director, in their sole discretion.

b. Provide clients an opportunity to request correction of inaccurate data in their records in accordance with the law and EWCDHH standards.

All officers, agents, and employees of EWCDHH must adhere to this policy. EWCDHH will not tolerate violations of this policy. Violation of this policy is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, removal from EWCDHH property and criminal or civil liability.

THIS POLICY IS EFFECTIVE UPON SIGNATURE:

 

_____________________________________ Date: _________________

Char Parsley, Executive Director