Audiological Research

Privacy practices for research subjects

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information gathered during research to carry out treatment, payment or healthcare operations and for other purposes that are allowed or required by law. It also describes your rights to access and control your protected health information. Protected Health Information is information about you that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future health or to related health services that you have received.

We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices. While we reserve the right to change these Practices, and, while those changes will be effective for all health information we have at the time of the change, we will make the revised Notice of Privacy Practices available to you by accessing our website at www.starkey.com.

  1. Uses and disclosures that do NOT require your consent. We are allowed by law to utilize your Protected Health Information for activities related to your treatment, to facilitate payment, and to run our healthcare operations (build your hearing aid). In addition, there are certain other allowed uses and disclosures that occur which we are required to include in this notice. Below are examples of the types of uses and disclosures of your Protected Health Information that occur at Starkey Hearing Technologies.
    • Treatment: We will use and disclose your Protected Health Information to provide, coordinate or manage your hearing healthcare. This includes the coordination of your hearing healthcare with 3rd parties such as ENT physicians. For example, your audiogram, name, date of birth, medical condition, etc. may be sent to an ENT physician to whom we may refer you for a medical condition we observe.
    • Payment: Not applicable. We do not charge a fee for hearing aid fittings related to research.
    • Healthcare operations: We will use and disclose your Protected Health Information in the normal course of running our Healthcare Operations. Your name, contact information, hearing aid S/N, etc. become integral parts of our business records, allowing us to coordinate our business. For example, we may utilize your hearing aid’s production history as part of our quality measurement system.
    • Other health related activities: We will use and disclose your Protected Health Information to contact you regarding follow-up services, future appointments, treatment options, new products that are available. For example, we may call you to check on how well you are adapting to use of your hearing aid and to schedule an appointment. We may also call you to recommend a Hearing Professional in your area that you may want to contact for periodic cleanings, etc.
  2. Uses and disclosures that REQUIRE your authorization. We are prevented by law from using or disclosing your Protected Health Information for most purposes other than listed in (1.) above or (3.) below, unless we have your Authorization. Your authorization for Use and Disclosure for research purposes will be requested using the Starkey Hearing Technologies Subject Participation Agreement form. Your authorization may be revoked at any time you choose by contacting us in writing.
  3. Other uses and disclosures that may be made with your consent, authorization or opportunity to object. There are a variety of rare conditions under which we are either required or allowed to use or disclose your Protected Health Information. You have the opportunity to agree or object to the use or disclosure of all or part of your Protected Health Information. If you are not present or able to object or agree, we may, using professional judgment, determine whether the disclosure is in your best interest. If so, only the Protected Health Information that is relevant to your healthcare will be disclosed. The following list outlines conditions and entities under which we would/must use or disclose.
    • As part of a US Food and Drug requirement or investigation.
    • When under court order in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process.
    • For law enforcement purposes as long as applicable legal requirements are met.
    • To Coroners or Funeral Directors as allowed by law.
    • For Research, provided the research has been reviewed by a Research Board and protocols for your privacy have been established.
    • For Military Activity and National Security, including for the purpose of determining your eligibility for VA benefits.
    • As required by Workers' Compensation Laws.
    • When required by the Secretary of the Dept. of Health and Human Services.
    • When you request such use or disclosure.

Following is a statement of your rights with respect to your Protected Health Information and a brief description of how you can exercise those rights.

  1. You have the right to inspect and receive a copy of your Protected Health Information. We will make available to you to inspect, and provide a copy upon request, any Protected Health Information we have and which we are legally required or allowed to provide to you. You can exercise this right by requesting such information to us in writing. We must provide your information within the 30 days required by law.

    Under federal law, there are some instances in which we can not or may choose not to provide you this access. Those instances typically revolve around use in a civil, criminal or administrative action. If we deny you access to your Protected Health Information, you may have the right to a review of that denial. Please contact our Privacy Contact if you have questions about your access.
  2. You have the right to request a restriction of your Protected Health Information. You can request at any time that we not use or disclose your Protected Health Information for a particular purpose, including those involved in treatment, payment or our healthcare operations. For example, you may request that we do not send your information to your physician, that we do not provide any information to your relatives, etc. You should know that we are not required to honor your request if it revolves around treatment, payment or our healthcare operations or if we believe it to be in your best interest. We are required to honor restrictions you request relative to Uses and Disclosures that REQUIRE your Authorization.

    You can exercise this right by making a request in writing to us.
  3. You have the right to request to receive confidential communications from us by alternate means or at an alternate location. We will accommodate or reach agreement on all reasonable requests. You do not have to provide us a reason for your request, but do ask that you put the request in writing.
  4. You have the right to have us amend your Protected Health Information. If you believe there is an inaccuracy or other reason to change our records, you may request that we make those changes. In most circumstances, we are required to make the change within 60 days.
  5. You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures we have made. This right does not apply to disclosures for treatment, payment or our healthcare operations. We are required to provide this accounting for disclosure going back 6 years.
  6. You have the right to a copy of this notice from us.

You may complain to us or to the Secretary of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You may file a complaint with us by notifying our Privacy Contact or via Customer Service. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.