In this age of technology that is digital, security of sensitive information is now a top concern for all businesses. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA is a law that gives guidelines to the healthcare industry on managing, storing, handling and protecting protected health information. HIPAA Compliance is important for healthcare organisations to protect privacy and avoid penalties. It also helps maintain the trust of their customers.
HIPAA law covers health care providers and health plans, as well as healthcare clearinghouses. Additionally, it covers business associates who are covered by HIPAA. PHI is defined as information that could be used to identify an individual, for example, names address, addresses, credit card details and social security numbers as well as details about medical procedures and conditions. PHI can be sold on the blackmarket for an astronomical price due to the use of it for identity theft.
The HIPAA Privacy rule provides guidelines for the use and disclosure of health-related personal information (PHI). Covered entities must establish and implement policies and procedures to protect the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of electronic PHI (ePHI). These policies and procedures should contain access controls and security incident procedures security awareness training as well as additional security measures. They are also bound to limit their use and disclosure of personal data to the extent necessary to meet the intended goal.
The HIPAA Security Rule obliges covered entities to protect the security, confidentiality, and availability of ePHI through the use of reasonable and appropriate administrative, physical and technical security measures. These safeguards include access control, integrity controls, audit control, security of transmission, and contingency planning. The covered entities are also required to periodically conduct risk assessments to discover vulnerabilities that could be vulnerable and take measures to reduce those dangers.
HIPAA’s Breach Notification Rule obliges covered entities to notify affected patients, Secretary of Health and Human Services and in some cases the media of any breach of encrypted PHI. The Privacy Rule defines a breach to be the acquisition, use or disclosure of PHI that is not permitted by the Privacy Rules, which affects privacy or security. To determine the probability that PHI might have been compromised and to determine the possible damage that may result due to a breach entities must perform a risk evaluation.
HIPAA compliance involves a continuous course of education and training. This helps employees be aware of their responsibilities in regards to patient privacy and security. The covered entities also have to conduct regular risk assessments in order to discover vulnerabilities and take mitigation measures. This could involve installing security controls or encryption of ePHI or developing contingency plans to deal with the possibility of a security breach.
In this day and age, technology has had a profound impact on virtually every aspect of our lives, not just healthcare. Electronic health records revolutionized healthcare due to their ability to allow healthcare providers and patients to share information without difficulty. HIPAA compliance is crucial due to the serious cyber-security threats which have been created. Patient information is extremely sensitive and must be safeguarded at all times. HIPAA is never more vital than it is today, given the ever-increasing threat of cyberattacks against healthcare providers. HIPAA assists in protecting the privacy and security of patient information, thus improving trust of patients with the healthcare professionals they trust.
HIPAA compliance will allow healthcare institutions to ensure patient privacy and ensure the trust of their patients. Infractions to HIPAA regulations could lead to massive fines, legal action, and reputational damage. Office for Civil Rights of Department of Health and Human Services (OCR) enforces HIPAA rules and has the authority to investigate complaints and examine compliance.
HIPAA compliance is crucial for healthcare providers to safeguard patients’ privacy in the current digital age. HIPAA regulations set out guidelines regarding the management, storage, handling and safeguarding protected health information. Healthcare institutions should ensure they have HIPAA-compliant policies and procedures, carry out periodic risk assessments, offer regular training and education to their employees and conduct regular risk assessment. By doing so they will maintain the trust of their patients and be protected from significant penalties and legal actions.
For more information, click how does hipaa protect patients