When the providers and upper management understand the ramifications of violations, then the rest of the staff typically will follow the examples that are set in place. Because HIPAA Compliance starts at the top!
Violations happen when someone makes a mistake or is simply not thinking. HIPAA needs to be on the forefront of everyone who encounters patient information. Treat this information as if it were your own! HIPAA does not have to be difficult; it only takes a few precautionary measures to stay compliant.
Here are some helpful reminders:
- Always speak in hushed tones. The person you are talking to may not be the one that will complain. Others may think if they can hear what you are saying to another patient, someone else will hear what you are saying to them.
- When a patient makes a request, always ask this to be in writing. Remember there is a time limit on most requests, and you must answer within the time allotted. If a patient asks for a copy of their medical records, you have 30 days to answer the request, you may extend 30 days, but it must be explained to the patient why, and a date when they will be available must be determined.
- With the new information blocking rules, patients now have the right to ask for their information in the format of their choice. This means if they want to download to an app or share with a third party, you are required to do so. If you do not have the technology in place to honor their request, advise the patient you are checking into this, and never tell them “no” you can’t honor their request. That may be considered information blocking.
- Before emailing or faxing patient information, verify the number/address, and before you click send, verify AGAIN! If you are attaching documents, be sure the document you are sending is the correct information for that patient. If you are emailing protected health information (PHI), encryption should be utilized. The only time this is not required is if the patient has been informed that this is not a secure method of transmission, and they authorize you to send it anyway. Be sure to keep that email as your authorization.
- Train your staff to verify that business associate agreements are in place before releasing any paper, digital, or electronic PHI. This can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines should they mishandle PHI.
- Educate your staff that looking into medical records that they do not have a need to do so, is grounds for termination. This includes family members, friends, neighbors, and celebrities. The monitoring of audit logs is a required standard under the security rule. If you are not reviewing your logs, then it is highly recommended to utilize an audit log monitoring company.
- Remind staff that work computers are for business purposes only. It is so easy to introduce malware and viruses from the internet. Also, remind them NEVER click on links in emails unless you are expecting the email.
These are just a few items to keep in mind. Be sure to train your staff on privacy and security annually and send out reminders. HIPAA is not just a once-a-year commitment, it is every day! Stay safe out there!
To find out more about how our online HIPAA Keeper™ can help your organization with HIPAA Compliance click here:
https://arismedicalsolutions.com/aris-hipaa-compliance-system-for-medical-offices/
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