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 todayâs 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 answer to that question is more complicated than a simple yes or no. âIt depends,â 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. Â HIPAA compliance doesnât expressly require the use or avoidance …
Is Texting PHI (Protected Health Information) Allowed by HIPAA? Read More »
For healthcare providers whoâve 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 yearâs 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 youâll hear the words âprivacyâ and âsecurityâ — sometimes separately, often together, and usually in the context of safeguarding patient information. âSo, what exactly is the difference between âprivacyâ and âsecurityâ in relation to HIPAA compliance?â you ask. With todayâs HIPAA Quick Tip Iâll try …
HIPAA Privacy Rule. HIPAA Security Rule. Whatâs 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, âIt takes a village.â Â The Omnibus Rule underscores the fact that protecting patientsâ 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 whatâs wrong and how to fix it. As a healthcare professional, itâs what you …
Fact: According to the latest HIPAA and Breach Enforcement Stats from the Office of Civil Rights (the arm of Health and Human Services responsible for HIPAA enforcement), theft is the leading cause of reported breaches. Last year, as a direct result of a breach report of a stolen unencrypted laptop, Concentra Health Services paid OCR …
Basic Guide to Thwarting Theft of Protected Health Information Read More »
Strange as it might seem, HIPAA compliance and the New York City sewer system share a connection. Both have given rise to âstories with little or no supporting evidence that spread spontaneously in varying forms and often have elements of humor, moralizing, or horrorâ — in other words, both contain  the stuff of âurban legends.â …
