Health information exchanges (HIEs)
Penn Medicine participates in automated information sharing through Health Information Exchanges (HIEs). HIEs securely share parts of your electronic health record with other health care organizations involved in your care. This information is shared to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of your health care.
Learn more about Health Information Exchanges.
You can opt out of health information exchanges through your Penn Medicine patient portal by navigating to Your Menu > Sharing Hub > Prevent organizations from requesting your health record. You may also opt out by speaking with our front desk staff or by contacting the Penn Medicine Privacy Office at 215-898-7260 or privacy@uphs.upenn.edu.
Updating your contact information
We will use your PHI to communicate with you about important topics, including information about appointments, your care, treatment options and other health-related services, and payment for your care. We recommend that you sign up for a Penn Medicine patient portal account to send and receive communications conveniently and securely. We may also contact you at the email, phone number or address that you provide, including via text messages, for these communications. If your contact information changes, it is important that you let us know. Texting and email are not 100% secure. For text messages, please note that message and data rates may apply and you will have the opportunity to opt out of individual Penn Medicine texting programs, including by replying “STOP.”
You can update your contact information or manage many communication preferences through your Penn Medicine patient portal by navigating to Your Menu > Settings > Manage Communication Preferences or by speaking with our front desk staff.
The patient portal is www.MyPennMedicine.org, or for LGH, www.MyLGHealth.org
Extra security for access to your record
Penn Medicine offers a feature called “break the glass” which requires an extra validation step for most users of our electronic medical record system to access your record. If you would like to request this extra security feature, please contact the Penn Medicine Privacy Office at 215-898-7260 or privacy@uphs.upenn.edu.
Research
As a leading academic medical center, Penn Medicine supports and conducts a broad range of research activities. We may use and disclose your PHI for research as permitted by applicable law, including, for example, with your written authorization and/or with oversight by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Privacy Board, which are committees charged with protecting the privacy of research participants.
You may be contacted with an invitation to participate in certain research activities as described in the Notice of Privacy Practices. If you do not wish to be contacted for this purpose, we will make reasonable efforts to limit contact from research teams. Your care providers may continue to discuss research with you.
If you do not wish to be contacted for research purposes, you can opt out in your Penn Medicine patient portal by navigating to Your Menu > Resources > Research Studies > Participation Preferences or by speaking with our front desk staff
Excess specimen use
During your care, tissue, blood, fluids, or other specimens may be collected for diagnostic or treatment purposes. In some cases, material remaining after your care is complete may be used to support research that has been reviewed and approved through appropriate oversight processes. You may opt out of having your excess specimens used for research. If you do not decline, these specimens may be used for research with a specific consent for research or Institutional Review Board/Ethics Board approval. If you do decline, you may change your mind in the future to agree to research use.
You can opt out by speaking with our front desk staff or by contacting the Penn Medicine Privacy Office at 215-898-7260 or privacy@uphs.upenn.edu.
Facility directory information
We use information to maintain an inpatient directory listing your name, room number, general condition and, if you wish, your religious affiliation. Unless you choose to have your information excluded from this directory, the information (except for religious affiliation) may be disclosed to anyone who requests it by asking for you by name. This information, including your religious affiliation, may also be provided to members of the clergy, even if they do not ask for you by name.
If you do not want your information included in the facility directory, you may request to be excluded at the time of admission or at any time during your hospital stay by notifying a member of the hospital care team or our front desk staff.
Fundraising
We may contact you at times to donate to a fundraising effort on our behalf. To opt out of fundraising communications, contact Penn Medicine Development.
Marketing
If you do not wish to receive promotional communications from Penn Medicine, you may opt out by following the instructions included in those communications.
We will honor your request(s) as soon as reasonably practicable. Please note that if you opt out of receiving marketing-related emails from us, we may still send you important administrative messages, from which you cannot opt out.