Patient Rights, Responsibilities and Privacy

At Mayo Clinic, we're concerned that each patient entrusted to our care is treated with dignity, respect and compassion. We recognize that all patients have basic rights, and we are committed to honoring these rights. Likewise, the clinic has a right to expect reasonable and responsible behavior from patients, their relatives and friends.

To learn more, read a summary of rights and responsibilities (PDF file) that we believe serves as a foundation for a good relationship between patients and staff.

To encourage patients and families to be part of the health care safety team, The Joint Commission has published "Speak Up Know Your Rights", a brochure for patients and families to read when entering the health-care system. (The Joint Commission evaluates health-care organizations' performance in areas that most affect patient health and safety. These areas are defined in The Joint Commission standards. By achieving accreditation, a health-care organization makes a commitment to follow The Joint Commission standards, which provide the framework for safe, quality care.)

How We Use Your Medical Information

In response to growing concerns about keeping health information private, Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The legislation includes a privacy rule that creates national standards to protect individuals' personal health information. Most health-care providers in the country were required to implement these standards by April 14, 2003.

Mayo Clinic has a long-standing, successful practice of protecting patients' privacy and maintaining confidentiality. We are implementing additional methods to further protect patients' medical information in the electronic age and are fully compliant with HIPAA requirements. The HIPAA privacy rule does not significantly change the way Mayo Clinic had been protecting medical information.

While it is true that many employees involved in a patient's visit -- from registration through patient care and billing -- have access to medical information, Mayo Clinic limits that access to only the pertinent medical information those employees need to do their jobs. We believe that appropriate access to your medical record by members of your care team enables us to provide you with the most comprehensive care available.

Patients' privacy rights and Mayo Clinic's privacy practices are outlined in a document called the "Notice of Privacy Practices." (View PDF file of the document.) Patients are given a copy when they make their first appointment and are asked to sign a form that acknowledges they have received the information. Once they have received the document and signed the acknowledgment form, they will not need to receive another copy -- or sign another acknowledgment -- unless Mayo makes major changes in its privacy practices.

Mayo Clinic takes seriously its responsibility for protecting patients' medical information. Providing you with the "Notice of Privacy Practices" and having you sign the acknowledgment that you received a copy are part of Mayo Clinic's efforts to comply with the rules mandated by HIPAA. Mayo is participating in this effort along with most other health-care providers in the United States. Compliance with the HIPAA privacy rule is important to continuing our tradition of patient confidentiality.