HIPAA Privacy Regulations: Definitions: Indirect Treatment Relationship - § 164.501

As Contained in the HHS HIPAA Privacy Rules

Indirect treatment relationship means a relationship between an individual and a health care provider in which:

(1) The health care provider delivers health care to the individual based on the orders of another health care provider; and

(2) The health care provider typically provides services or products, or reports the diagnosis or results associated with the health care, directly to another health care provider, who provides the services or products or reports to the individual.

This term was not included in the proposed rule. An “indirect treatment relationship” is a relationship between a health care provider and an individual in which the provider delivers health care to the individual based on the orders of another health care provider and the health care services, products, diagnoses, or results are typically furnished to the patient through another provider, rather than directly. For example, radiologists and pathologists generally have indirect treatment relationships with patients because they deliver diagnostic services based on the orders of other providers and the results of those services are furnished to the patient through the direct treating provider. This definition is necessary to clarify the relationships between providers and individuals in the regulation. For example, see the consent discussion at § 164.506.