HCPro.com: Briefings on HIPAA

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August 2008 (Volume 8, Issue 8)	view entire issue

Presidential election casts uncertainty on HIPAA
The presidential election is still months away, and presumptive nominees John McCain and Barack Obama have only begun articulating substantive policy positions. But one thing is clear: HIPAA is at a turning point. The next president will encounter trends indicative of a desire for greater privacy and security of health information. Covered entities will likely face an enforcement shift and significant legislative action, regardless of who next occupies the Oval Office.

See your privacy program through a new set of eyes
HIPAA didn't come with a step-by-step guide that explains how to implement the privacy rule with limited resources at a 254-bed pediatric hospital that strives to help the underserved. "You just did it and you did what you thought was right. You did what you could and networked when possible. But nobody came in and graded you on your implementation," says Roberta B. Baranda, RHIA, CHP, director of patient access and HIM and privacy officer at Children's Hospital Central California in Madera. How could she know whether her privacy program met the spirit and intent of the rule?

Train patient access staff members on HIPAA
Editor's note: This is the fourth of five articles on how and what to teach staff members in various departments about HIPAA. Your patient access staff members are your organization's gatekeepers, often the first to greet your patients. They serve an important role in providing excellent customer service and ensuring patient satisfaction and repeat business. But their responsibilities don't end there. Registration staff members are often the first to encounter sensitive patient information, so educating them about HIPAA is essential.

Q&A: Security officers-one for all or one for each?
Editor's note: Apgar is president of Apgar & Associates, LLC, in Portland, OR. He has more than 17 years of experience in information technology and specializes in security compliance, assessments, training, and strategic planning. Apgar is a board member of the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange and chair of the Oregon and Southwest Washington Healthcare, Privacy and Security Forum.

Medical identity theft an increasing challenge
It's a hot topic everywhere-in television commercials, movie plots, and on the nightly news. And it's a growing concern. It's identity theft. Traditional identity theft is a familiar problem in the United States. Victims of identity theft brace for its effect on their finances and credit ratings. Medical identity theft is less well known, but it is just as problematic for patients, hospitals, and insurers.

Other recently-published articles from Briefings on HIPAA:

Home secure home: Mitigate remote access risks

Q&A: Breach notification, secure e-mail, and more

Certified career boosters: How credentials help you

Honeypots: A sweet tool for monitoring snooping

Lax enforcement? Not under the OIG’s watch

Flag identity theft as federal rule takes effect

Q&A: Handle flower deliveries, media requests, and more

Disaster preparedness: Design, update, practice your plan

Confront release of information challenges

Trust in CellTrust’s Mobile Healthcare Solution messaging

Discipline with the intent to educate

Flag identity theft as federal rule takes effect

Keep your staff members’ e-mail private and secure

HIPAA and the use of electronic signatures and delivery

Q&A: Visitor badges, stolen laptops, and more

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