Just now, out of curiosity, I Googled the words “HIPAA compliance checklist.” Within .20 seconds I got 2,470,000 results. Page after Google page of businesses, legal firms, healthcare organizations, and government agencies offering everything from “Ten-Point HIPAA Checklists” to “$89 Compliance Checklists.”
The appeal of such lists is undeniable. Knowing what I know about HIPAA and its complexity, I can easily understand how a simple checklist might be viewed as a possible compliance solution. Putting “X’s” in little boxes next to questions on a checklist downloaded from an official-looking website sure beats reading the 500+ pages of the Omnibus Rule. I get it.
But here’s my objection to most of the checklists you’ll find advertised on all those search-engine pages: Those checklists don’t analyze your answers. Or score your results. Or pinpoint what issues you need to address immediately — the “biggies” the HSS auditors are sure to zero-in on. Simple checklists don’t prioritize your HIPAA action-items. They might tell you what answers you got wrong, but they offer little in the way of guidance as to the steps to take — first, second, and so on — in order to do compliance right.
More than a HIPAA checklist. A step-by-step compliance strategy.
The team here at Touchstone Compliance has developed an online tool that combines a HIPAA checklist’s ease-of-use with a legal expert’s know-how and a compliance guru’s guidance. It’s an interactive tool that uses a question-and-answer format, but also provides insight into what specifically needs to be done in your office to achieve HIPAA compliance and avoid the costly pitfalls of non-compliance.
To learn more, click here.