Law / United States / 
Alabama
Confidentiality of notifiable disease information: medical records of persons with designated sexually transmitted diseases and recipients of third-party notices
Ala. Code secs. 22-11A-22 and 22-11A-38
In force.
A sensitive categories rule binding public and private bodies.
- Obligation class
- Consent, Prohibition
- Audit expectation
- none
As of .
What it requires
- Keep confidential all information, reports and medical records concerning persons infected with a sexually transmitted disease designated by the State Board of Health, and do not make them available for public inspection.
- Release an individual's medical record only on the written consent of the patient.
- Except as section 22-11A-38 provides, keep confidential any information required under its article.
- If you receive a notification of a person's contagious condition under section 22-11A-38, hold the information in the strictest confidence and privilege and take only the actions necessary to protect health where there is a foreseeable, real or probable risk of transmission of the disease.
These lines are LexLint's reading of the law's text, as of .
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
Section 22-11A-22 makes a violation of its confidentiality rule a Class C misdemeanor, and section 22-11A-38(k) does the same for a violation of any provision of section 22-11A-38 or its approved guidelines.
What this law does
Section 22-11A-22 makes all information, reports and medical records concerning persons infected with sexually transmitted diseases designated by the State Board of Health confidential, and not subject to public inspection or admission into evidence in any court except commitment proceedings brought under the article. Under section 22-11A-22, an individual's medical record may be released on the written consent of the patient.
Anyone violating section 22-11A-22 is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor. Section 22-11A-38(a) authorizes the State Committee of Public Health to establish the rules by which exceptions may be made to the confidentiality provisions of its article.
Section 22-11A-38(g) requires all persons who receive a notification of the contagious condition of an individual under that section to hold the information in the strictest confidence and privilege and to take only the actions necessary to protect health where there is a foreseeable, real or probable risk of transmission. Except as provided in section 22-11A-38, any information required under its article remains confidential. Any person violating a provision of section 22-11A-38 or its approved guidelines is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor.
When LexLint raises it
When your app profile says your app handles health records.