What Is HIPAA Compliance Training And Why It's Important
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By PAGE Editor
HIPAA compliance training is important for all organizations and entities that handle the protected health information (PHI) of individuals. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by Congress in 1996 to provide a framework for safeguarding health information. With HIPAA compliance, we can protect both patient privacy and sensitive data from insider threats and outside cybersecurity threats.
A Bit About HIPAA
The HIPAA Privacy Rule sets out specific requirements for the way PHI must be used, shared, and accessed. It also puts forth general provisions that protect patient privacy, such as what information is protected health information (PHI) and how it must be protected. To learn more about HIPAA compliance, the experts at https://www.easyllama.com/lp/hipaa-compliance-training offer training on the matter. The HIPAA Security Rule sets national standards for meeting certain security protections to reduce risks associated with PHI. There are three areas covered in the Security Rule: Administrative, Physical, and Technical safeguards.
HIPAA Compliance Is Important
The HIPAA Privacy Rule holds business associates (BA) of covered entities (CE) accountable for complying with HIPAA privacy regulations when they use or share PHI. It also protects patient privacy by setting national standards for controlling access to PHI. HIPAA also dictates how personal health information, PHI, can be used, shared, and accessed by business associates, organizations, or individuals who have a legitimate need for it.
The Security Rule requires covered entities (CE) to implement technical safeguards and physical barriers to the use, disclosure, access, and disposal of PHI. The HIPAA Omnibus Rule establishes requirements for CEs to communicate with patients about certain information, such as how PHI will be used or shared. It also details specifications for business associates, subcontractors, and vendors who are involved in the processing of PHI.
The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule
The notification rule requires CEs to give notification when a breach of PHI occurs. A CE must notify a patient of a breach within 60 days, but they must also notify HHS and the media if more than 500 people are affected by a breach. To be HIPAA compliant, healthcare organizations should have well-trained employees who can help protect PHI from unauthorized access. This is the minimum required for compliance.
HIPAA Compliance Training Is The Way To Go
Oftentimes, organizations will hire third-party companies to offer HIPAA compliance training courses to meet their regulatory requirements. These are the best way to educate employees on using PHI in a responsible manner that minimizes risk and protects patient privacy. CEs must ensure their business associates comply with HIPAA regulations. Some experts would be more than happy to help train your employees in how to protect patient privacy while meeting all HIPAA compliance requirements.
Risks Mitigated With HIPAA
Since HIPAA was signed into law, it has given patients peace of mind by protecting their PHI and has mitigated risks by making sure that patient privacy is protected. The HIPAA Privacy Rule ensures the confidentiality of an individual's health information by prohibiting unauthorized access to or use of PHI during any business associate transaction. Oftentimes, organizations will hire third-party companies to offer HIPAA compliance training courses to meet their regulatory requirements. These are the best way to educate employees on using PHI in a responsible manner that minimizes risk and protects patient privacy.
Things to keep in mind include: What information is PHI and how it must be protected? How to meet certain security standards, such as administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. How to avoid cyber threats when using PHI. Who has access to PHI? When a breach occurs what steps need to be taken.
Ensuring Compliance With HIPAA
CEs must ensure their business associates comply with HIPAA regulations. Some experts would be more than happy to help train your employees in how to protect patient privacy while meeting all HIPAA compliance requirements. Essential steps for protecting PHI include: limiting access to PHI or ePHI, maintaining a secure environment with strong locks and a firewall, encrypting data that is moved from an on-site server to the cloud, encrypting laptops and other mobile devices that have PHI on them, keeping a log of all backed up data, and regularly checking to make sure those rules are being followed.
HIPAA has been around for 20 years and is committed to protecting the privacy and security of individuals' medical records and other personal health information. To minimize the risk that patient information will be viewed or stolen by unauthorized parties, a CE must have a plan in place to protect the confidentiality of patient information. This will require them to have a HIPAA compliance policy and training for all employees who deal with ePHI daily.
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