1. PATIENT OBLIGATIONS WHEN CONSENTING TO EMAIL
- The patient shall not use email for medical emergencies, urgent problems or other time-sensitive matters.
- If the patient’s email requires or invites a response from the staff or physicians, and the patient has not received a response within a reasonable time period, it is the patient’s responsibility to follow up to determine whether the intended recipient received the email and when the recipient will respond.
- All emails to or from the patient concerning diagnosis or treatment will be imported into and made part of the patient’s electronic medical record. Because they are part of the medical record, other individuals authorized to access the medical record, such as secretarial staff, nurses and billing personnel, will have access to those emails.
- Medical staff may forward emails internally to members of the Physician’s staff if necessary, for diagnosis, treatment, reimbursement, and other handling. Staff will not, however, forward emails to independent third parties without the patient’s prior written consent, except as authorized or required by law.
- The patient should not use email for communication regarding sensitive medical information, such as information regarding sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS/HIV, mental health, developmental disability, or substance abuse.
- The patient is responsible for informing Provider of any type of information the patient does not want to be sent by email, in addition to those set out above.