A Public Relations Handbook for Hospitals, Physicians, and Media

The fields of communications and health care have changed dramatically over the past several years. The most recent and most dramatic change is the implementation of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which mandates new standards of privacy and confidentiality for patients and patient information.

HIPAA regulations specify the purposes for which information may and may not be released without authorization from the patient. This updated Code of Cooperation is consistent with HIPAA medical privacy regulations as well as guidance documentation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Code of Cooperation explains how and when patient information may be released to the media. It also follows federal mandates for releasing information to family members, other hospitals, relief agencies and the media in everyday and disaster situations. This document is a guideline and local legal counsel may recommend slightly different policies for the release of patient information.

New technologies have also affected both how we care for individuals in our society and how we report that care to others. These advances are accompanied by an increased sensitivity to the patient's right to privacy.

Healthcare professionals, whether medical staff or hospital employees, are bound by both ethics and regulations to respect and protect patients.

It is the constitutional right of the news media to responsibly research and publish medical information. The medical professionals and hospitals realize their responsibility to provide the public with accurate information on matters of medical interest. However, it is neither the right nor the obligation of the medical professionals and hospitals to furnish information to the news media, except as it serves the best interest of the patient, and when/if the patient has approved of such release of information. The right to privacy must be afforded to all patients regardless of their social or economic status, or lifestyle choices.

This document is a code of cooperation, not of censorship. It is a guide for hospital information officers, physicians, and for the news media for the release of patient information. By agreeing with its tenets, the medical profession and the hospitals acknowledge a mutual responsibility to provide the public with accurate information on matters of medical interest and assure hospital personnel and physicians that the gathering and reporting of this information does not infringe upon patient privacy, professional and medical ethics, or uninterrupted patient care.