Free Tools to Help with the HIPAA Risk Analysis Read More »
I’m going to talk a little bit today about audit trails — sometimes called “audit logs” — and the vital role they can play in your ongoing efforts to keep Protected Health Information (PHI) safe, your workforce honest, and hackers at bay. What is an audit trail? According to Fundamentals of Law for Health Informatics
Healthcare Providers: Why a Computer’s Audit Trail Is Important Read More »
Before the HIPAA Omnibus Rule went into effect last year, the standard for determining whether or not patients needed to be notified in the event of a breach of Protected Health Information (PHI) was pretty subjective. If, for instance, a computer with PHI of 3000+ patients was stolen from a small practice, it was the
The Newest Standard for Notifying Patients of a PHI Breach Read More »
In a previous blog I talked about the importance of email security in today’s healthcare practices. I focused mainly on the advantages of using secure HIPAA compliant email in communications with patients, and how that kind of communication can earn a doctor or dentist a high rating on social media and, quite possibly, a better
The Truth about HIPAA Compliant Email Read More »
The answer to that question is more complicated than a simple yes or no. “It depends,” says it best. The reason lies in the law itself. The lawmakers who crafted the HIPAA legislation went to great lengths, it seems to me, to make the mandate non-prescriptive. HIPAA compliance doesn’t expressly require the use or avoidance
Is Texting PHI (Protected Health Information) Allowed by HIPAA? Read More »
For healthcare providers who’ve been putting off doing a risk assessment and developing a mitigation plan, Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors, could make a compelling case against that kind of procrastination. If ten years earlier GM had identified the ignition switch in last year’s headlines as a potentially deadly defect and taken steps
HIPAA Risk Assessment: Lessons from General Motors Read More »
Eavesdrop on a conversation about HIPAA compliance and most likely you’ll hear the words “privacy” and “security” — sometimes separately, often together, and usually in the context of safeguarding patient information. “So, what exactly is the difference between ‘privacy’ and ‘security’ in relation to HIPAA compliance?” you ask. With today’s HIPAA Quick Tip I’ll try
HIPAA Privacy Rule. HIPAA Security Rule. What’s the Difference? Read More »
The single most common way Protected Health Information (PHI) is compromised is through the loss of devices themselves, whether this happens by accident or by theft. Technology — thumb drives, CDs, smart phones, tablets — has made it possible for large amounts of information to be tucked into our pockets or purses and carried to
The Basics of Mobile Device Security for Protected Health Information Read More »
When it comes to safeguarding Protected Health Information (PHI), you could say, “It takes a village.” The Omnibus Rule underscores the fact that protecting patients’ health information and their right to privacy is the responsibility today not only of healthcare providers, but also of their business associates (BAs) whose work requires them to access PHI.
Basics of a Good Business Associate Agreement for HIPAA Read More »
In your line of work, people come to you every day with symptoms. Chest pains. Chills. Blurred vision. Toothaches. And every day you draw on your years of medical, optometry, or dental training and your skills as a diagnostician to figure what’s wrong and how to fix it. As a healthcare professional, it’s what you
6 Symptoms of a Possible Computer Virus Read More »
