Roman Diaz

A HIPAA blog just for the holidays. What if Mr. Claus was injured in a run-in with a reindeer and a nurse in the hospital leaked the news?

But no matter how much we might wish that hackers weren’t so busy or so clever, malicious software in the form of viruses, worms, and “Trojan horses” is out there. Today’s blog will talk about specific steps healthcare practices can take to keep systems free from malware.

Today, let’s do some trash talkin’ – and take a look at the HIPAA compliant way to dispose of papers that contain Protected Health Information (PHI). Even if much of your PHI is now in digital form (ePHI) and your office is well on its way to becoming paperless, chances are you still need a

HIPAA deals mainly with safeguarding Protected Health Information (PHI) in all its forms. In essence, it’s a patient-centered law. OSHA, on the other hand, is all about working conditions.

In an earlier post, I talked about “The Secret to Passing a HIPAA Audit.” And it came down to the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.
Today I’d like to expand a bit on that and offer some info on specific areas of compliance the HIPAA auditors will be delving into. These areas aren’t a secret. In fact, auditors who’ll be knocking on doors of practices like yours will arrive with very clear guidelines from HHS as to what to look for and evaluate.

With so much involved in running a successful healthcare practice today, it’s easy to understand how HIPAA has come to be viewed as more of a nuisance than a necessary part of good care. But at its core, HIPAA isn’t about extra logistical hassles or additional work, it’s really about best practices — and creating and maintaining a professional environment that protects every patient’s rights.

These days it’s not just healthcare providers who know about HIPAA. Healthcare consumers are becoming much more aware of their right to privacy and the role that HIPAA plays in that. This article takes a look at what that can mean for healthcare practices.