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 »
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 “stories with little or no supporting evidence that spread spontaneously in varying forms and often have elements of humor, moralizing, or horror” — in other words, both contain  the stuff of “urban legends.”
Urban Legends & the HIPAA Risk Analysis Read More »
My brother-in-law retired a few years ago after more than three decades in private practice. He ran his busy office the old fashioned way — without computers. His patients’ records were kept in manila folders filed in a wall of shelves. In longhand, his office manager recorded appointments in a big black book and
How to Prepare for the Risk Assessment HIPAA Requires Read More »
As part of HIPAA compliance, every healthcare office must have a Privacy Officer and a Security Officer. This article describes the responsibilities of each.
To borrow a phrase from Stephen Colbert, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) — the department in charge of HIPAA enforcement — got a “wag of the finger” a while back from the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. And that’s bound to have an impact on healthcare offices everywhere. A November
Why Serious HIPAA Enforcement Is Inevitable Read More »
In the event of a disaster, here’s what every healthcare provider needs to know about data backup of Personal Health Information (PHI and ePHI).
How Data Backup Can Save a Healthcare Practice in a Disaster Read More »
As soon as you discover that’s there’s been a breach of PHI, HIPAA requires that “without unreasonable delay” you notify those patients whose information is involved and in danger of being compromised. This article discusses how to do that.
When a PHI Breach Happens: What to Tell Your Patients Read More »
