Confidentiality of Substance Abuse Patient Records

Course overview

"Substance Use Treatment Providers must be vigilant about patient privacy throughout treatment. In order to protect patient privacy and confidentiality, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), issued a Final Rule to amend 42 CFR Part 2. Any program with federal assistance must comply with the Final Rule, and all healthcare workers should be aware of the changes to consent, confidentiality, and privacy impacting patient treatment. While not completely aligned, HIPAA works together with 42 CFR Part 2 to strengthen patient privacy and confidentiality while undergoing substance abuse treatment. This course will provide an overview of HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2, discuss how the two interact and work together, where there are challenges, and how to safeguard patient information in substance use treatment facilities."