DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY PRIVACY POLICY
Updated February 28th, 2021
DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY (also doing business as NYC Psychiatry and Primary Care Physicians or New York House Call Physicians or Natan Schleider MD PLLC) may be referred to as ‘us’ or ‘we’ or the ‘practice’ below. Use of the term ‘you’ or ‘your’ below refers to a patient of DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY.
Protecting the privacy and the confidentiality of patient personal information is highly important to the physicians and staff of DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY.
The appropriate collection, use, and disclosure or non-disclosure of patients’ personal health information is fundamental to our day-to-day operations and to patient care. Every member of DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY must abide by our commitment to privacy in the handling of personal information.
This policy was last modified on the 28th day of February in the year 2021.
Applicability of This Privacy Policy reflects our commitment to privacy and demonstrates the ways we ensure that patient privacy is protected. Our Privacy Policy applies to the Personal Health Information of all our patients that is in our possession and control. Personal health information means identifying information about an individual relating to their physical or mental health (including medical history), the providing of health care to the individual, payments or eligibility for health care, organ and tissue donation and health number.
The 10 Principles of Privacy Our Privacy Policy below address our compliance with fair information practices, applicable laws and standards of practice as they pertain to you:
1. Accountability: We take our commitment to securing patient privacy very seriously. Each physician and employee associated with the Practice is responsible for the personal information under his/her control. Our employees are informed about the importance of privacy and receive information periodically to update them about our Privacy Policy and related issues.
2. Identifying Purposes: Why We Collect Information We ask you for information to establish a relationship and serve your medical needs. We obtain information about our patients directly from the patient, the patient’s guardian, or the patient’s health care proxy. We may obtain patient information WITH PATIENT AUTORIZATION from other health practitioners whom you have seen and authorized to disclose to us. You are entitled to know how we use patient information. This is described in the Privacy Statement written on our NEW PATIENT FORM which patient’s review and sign before becoming a patient of DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY.
3. Consent: You have the right to determine how your personal health information is used and disclosed. For most health care purposes, your consent is implied as a result of your consent for us to provide our patients with medical care; however, consent is written and confirmed in person or audio or video or electronically. PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION WIL NOT BE RELEASED UNLESS REQUIRED BY LAW. Our healthcare providers may override the consent directive in certain EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES, such as emergencies or when consent delays or prevents receiving health care.
4. Limiting Collection: We collect information by fair and lawful means and collect only that information which may be necessary for purposes related to the provision of your medical care.
5. Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention: The information we request from you is used for the purposes defined. We will seek your consent before using the information for purposes beyond the scope of the posted Privacy Statement. Under no circumstances do we sell patient lists or other personal information to third parties. There are some types of disclosure of your personal health information that may occur as part of this Practice fulfilling its routine obligations and/or practice management. This includes consultants and suppliers to the Practice, on the understanding that they abide by our Privacy Policy, and only to the extent necessary to allow them to provide business services or support to this Practice.
6. Accuracy: We try to ensure that all decisions involving your personal information are based upon accurate and timely information. While we will do our best to base our decisions on accurate information, we rely on you to disclose all material information and to inform us of any relevant changes.
7. Safeguards: DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY protects your information with appropriate safeguards and security measures. The Practice obtains personal information in a combination of paper and / or electronic files like a PDF file you provide in a manner you deem secure. If you send us an e-mail or text message or electronic fax, please remember that e-mail and text messages electronic faxes are not necessarily secure against interception. If your communication is sensitive do not send it electronically. That said, our e-mail server is HIPAA complaint. Records concerning individuals’ personal information are stored in electronic files kept onsite at our office and backed up off site for security and/or in the event of a disaster. Access to personal information will be authorized only for the physicians and staff associated with DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY, and other agents who require access in the performance of their duties, and to those otherwise authorized by law. We provide information to your other health care providers with your consent and or at your request, on the understanding that they are also bound by law and ethics to safeguard your privacy. Our computer systems are password-secured.
8. Openness: DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY has prepared this plain-language Privacy Policy to keep you informed. You may view a copy by visiting our website at www.doctorinthefamily.nyc. If you have any additional questions or concerns about privacy, we invite you to contact us by phone at 1-646-957-5444 and we will address your concerns to the best of our ability.
9. Access and Correction of Patient Information or Medical Records: DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY will give you access to the information we retain about you upon presentation of a written request and satisfactory identification. If you find errors of fact in your personal health information, please notify us as soon as possible and we will make the appropriate corrections. We are not required to correct information relating to clinical observations or opinions made in good faith. We are not required to explain our fees which we makes as transparent as possible on our website www.doctorinthefamily.nyc/fees. We are not required to explain or teach you the details of medical billing like current procedural codes (also called CPT® Codes) which may appear on your invoice. If you do not understand a CPT® code, please contact the American Medical Association www.ama.org who creates and maintains CPT® codes. You have a right to append a short statement of disagreement to your record or invoice to make a requested change. If we deny a patient request to append personal information, medical records, or invoices we will advise the patient in writing.
10. Challenging Compliance: DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY encourages you to contact us with any questions or concerns you might have about your privacy or our Privacy Policy. We will investigate and respond to your concerns about any aspect of our handling of your information. In most cases, an issue is resolved simply by telling us about it and discussing it.
You can contact us at:
DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY, 35 EAST 35TH STREET, SUITE 1H, NEW YORK, NY 10016. Our office phone number is 1-646-957-5444 and fax number is 1-917-591-6885. If, after contacting us, patients feel that concerns have not been addressed with satisfaction, you have the right to complain to the appropriate authority.
