Privacy Policy

The medical field is designated as one in which particularly strict assurance of proper handling is required by the "Basic Policy on the Protection of Personal Information" and supplementary resolutions by the Diet on the nature and usage of personal information. At this hospital, protection of the patients' privacy and personal information is considered to be both fundamental to medical activities and a social responsibility.

As an advanced treatment hospital (so designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare) and as an educational/research institution, this hospital provides highly advanced medical treatment, contributes to local medical services as well as the training of medical professionals, and conducts clinical research, and may use the personal information of patients for these purposes, while exercising meticulous care to protect patients' privacy.

This hospital actively strives to strengthen the cooperation which allows patients to actively participate in their treatment. Based on the principles of this hospital, its fundamental policies, and the rights of patients, our policy toward the protection of personal information has been established as follows, and is made clear to all employees and concerned personnel as we strive to further protect personal information.

1. Collection, use and provision of personal information
   A system for protecting and controlling personal information shall be established, and internal rules set and followed for the appropriate collection, use and provision of personal information.
2. Safety measures for protecting personal information
   The safety and accuracy of personal information shall be secured by taking thorough precautions against unauthorized access to personal information or its loss, destruction, alteration or omission, and corrective measures shall be taken if any problem should occur.
3. Compliance with laws and regulations regarding personal information
   Laws and other regulations regarding personal information shall be followed.
4. Education and continuous improvement
   In order to appropriately maintain the system for protecting personal information, hospital staff shall be thoroughly educated and trained, and the internal rules shall be continuously reviewed and improved as needed.
5. Disclosure of medical records
   In principle, medical records shall be provided and disclosed to patients in accordance with applicable rules.

Protecting the Personal Information of Patients

This hospital utilizes records containing the personal information of patients not only as a healthcare facility, but also for the purposes prescribed as an educational and research institute. The understanding and cooperation of all patients is requested in this matter.

1. The personal information of patients is used for the following purposes in accordance with the hospital’s rules established based on applicable laws and regulations.

   (1) Use by the hospital

   • Medical services provided to the patient
   • Medical insurance administration
   • Administrative tasks related to the patient
     Hospital management such as hospitalization and discharge, visitor assistance, accounting and finance, reports of medical accidents, improvement of medical services
   • Basic data for the maintenance and improvement of medical services and operations

   (2) Use by the hospital and Osaka University

   • Medical education
   • Case-based research
   • Provision of information to outside auditing organizations

   In these uses, information is provided anonymously as far as possible.

   (3) Provision of information to other medical institutions

   • Cooperation in providing medical services with other hospitals, clinics, birth centers, pharmacies, home-visit nursing stations, nursing care service providers, etc.
   • To answer inquiries on medical services from other medical institutions
   • To seek the opinion and advice from outside physicians on the treatment of a patient
   • For the consignment of laboratory tests and other outsourcing
   • To explain a patient’s medical condition to the family
   • Medical insurance administration (consignment of insurance administration, submission of health insurance claims to an examination/payment organization)
   • To inquiries for an examination/payment organization or insurer
   • To answer inquiries from an examination/payment organization or insurer
   • Submission to a government agency or judicial organ based on applicable laws and regulations
   • To inform an entity which has entrusted this hospital with a medical examination of the results of the examination based on applicable laws and regulations
   • For consultation with or notification to a medical professional association or insurance company responsible for physician liability insurance

   Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the applicability of the above purposes.

2. If a patient’s personal information is used for any purpose other than those listed above, the patient’s consent will be obtained in writing.
3. Patients have the following rights regarding their personal information.
   1. (1) Patients can demand the disclosure of their personal information using the prescribed procedure.
   2. (2) Patients can demand the correction of their disclosed personal information using the prescribed procedure.
   3. (3) Patients have the right to demand discontinuation of the use, erasure, or discontinuation of the provision of their personal information using the prescribed procedure if they think that their personal information is being handled inappropriately.
   4. (4) Patients have the right to object to the hospital if they have a complaint about hospital decisions made that affect the patients’ rights listed above.
4. For more details concerning the handling of patients’ personal information at this hospital, please refer to the pamphlet available at General Information or Inpatients Reception.

If you have any questions about the hospital’s handling of patients’ personal information, please ask at the (1) Medical Care Counter (Social Service Department) of the Medical Affairs Division. For inquiries by telephone, please use the numbers below.

Matters handled include general inquiries on the hospital’s privacy policy, etc.

Public Relations Evaluation Section, General Affairs Division (Tel: 06-6879-5020)

Consultation regarding or requests for disclosure, revision, or discontinuation of use of personal information.

Administration Bureau, Department of General Affairs, General Affairs Division (Tel: 06-6105-6163）

Procedure for disclosure of medical records
(Japanese text only)

Remote backup system for the medical data in the hospital information system in preparation for disasters and other emergencies

In preparation for disasters and other emergencies, all National University Hospitals jointly conduct the "Remote Backup Project for the Data in the Medical Information Systems of National University Hospitals," for the purpose of protecting the medical data of each patient. As a member of this project, our hospital stores the backup for major medical data, recorded electromagnetically in our hospital information system, in the strictly controlled remote data centers (Hokkaido and Kyushu).

If the chief of the disaster control headquarters should declare a state of emergency, in the case that our hospital should become unable to provide services, this backup system allows medical staff from different medical institutions or aid stations to refer to the stored information of our patients. Moreover, the backup data can be stored again in the reestablished hospital information system to allow our hospital to resume provision of the same quality service.

Director of Hospital