The federal government has issued regulations that provide for confidentiality in the handling of protected health information. These regulations govern how patient information is managed by everyone in the health care field, including hospitals, billing offices, clinical research laboratories, and anyone else who might have access to this confidential material, including students. The regulations govern behavior in the hospital, in clinics, in physicians’ offices, and clinical and research laboratories.
An education program is in place for all Columbia physicians, students and staff to bring the University into compliance with the new regulations. Students must comply with these regulations.