At UT Health San Antonio, we are committed to safeguarding the protected health information (PHI) of our patients, so we’ve made reporting a HIPAA inquiry or incident easy. If you suspect a potential HIPAA privacy violation has occurred, then promptly notify your supervisor and report the information to the Institutional Compliance and Privacy Office using the steps outlined below.
Report privacy incidents immediately upon discovery
All workforce members are required to report possible incidents of advertent or inadvertent disclosure of PHI. If you suspect a privacy incident has occurred, immediately notify the Institutional Compliance and Privacy Office in one of the following ways:
- Submit a report online by visiting insideuthsa.ethicspoint.com.
- Call the Institutional Compliance and Privacy Office at (210) 567-201.
- Call the Compliance Hotline at (877) 507-7317 (available 24/7).
What to submit when reporting a privacy incident
When reporting a concern, it is important to include the following information:
- A brief description of what happened (e.g., date of the incident, location, individuals involved and the type of protected health information impacted or disclosed).
- Copies of documents involved in the event.
- Any other relevant information. This information is vital to ensure a proper privacy investigation is conducted in a timely manner.
Examples of reportable privacy incidents
Common examples of privacy incidents include but are not limited to the following:
- Giving discharge paperwork to the wrong patient.
- Emailing patient information to the wrong recipient.
- Faxing a patient’s information to the wrong person or agency.
- Losing a device containing patient information.
- Disposing of patient information inappropriately.
For questions or concerns related to privacy matters, contact the Institutional Compliance and Privacy Office at compliance@uthscsa.edu or 210-567-2014. The anonymous compliance hotline may also be reached at http://uthscsa.edu/ReportNow or by calling 877-507-7317.