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Texas Center for Infectious Disease
Resources for Healthcare Professionals Welcome to the Texas Center for Infectious Disease web site for physicians, researchers, medical students and other healthcare professionals. TCID is the regional leader in the treatment of tuberculosis, Hansen's Disease and other contagious diseases. Tuberculosis Treatment Guidelines
Disclosure of Patient Information Information regarding your health care is confidential. Texas Center for Infectious Disease (TCID) is responsible for safeguarding your information and has developed policies and procedures to protect your privacy. Except as required by state or federal law, you have the right to specify what information can be released from your medical record and to designate to whom your medical information may be released. A written authorization properly completed and signed by you or your legally authorized representative is required before releasing any health information to authorized individuals/agencies and will be strictly limited to information required to fulfill the stated purpose. Telephone inquiries regarding whether or not you are receiving Inpatient/Outpatient medical treatment at TCID or the status of your condition will not be released to outside sources, including family members. Such telephonic inquiries will be managed by obtaining the caller's phone number and informing you of the call and giving you the option to return the call should you so desire. Telephone requests from another health care provider will require proper identification and verification to assure that the caller is entitled to receive the requested information. Once verified an authorization signed by you or your legally authorized representative has been obtained the information will be released. Information about your illness is maintained in your medical record which is confidential. As a patient you have the right to review or obtain a copy of this information. The hospital is responsible for providing you with the information within 15 days of the request or notify you that it does not exist or is not readily available. The hospital charges a fee for copies of records. The rate is set forth by the General Service Commission of the State of Texas. As a public health hospital specializing in the management of infectious diseases, TCID is obligated by state and federal laws to comply with various reporting requirements. Among those the law allows the hospital to disclose confidential health care information to without your authorization are health care providers who are caring for you, governmental agencies as authorized or required by law, third-party payers to obtain payment and a court, under court order. Texas law recognizes the following individuals as legally authorized representatives allowed to release health care information from your medical record should you be unable to sign:
The legally authorized representative must show written evidence of his legal status to the hospital prior to signing permission for any disclosure. Process for Admitting TB Patients The following steps describe the necessary steps to take to admit tuberculosis patients:
Admissions are accepted Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Friday until 12 noon, unless other arrangements are approved by the accepting physician. Patients should stop at Security at the entrance to TCID for directions to assigned units.
Last Updated April 5, 2005 |
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