Home » Healthy Living » Public Health & Safety

5 Tips For Hospitals On How To Avoid HIPAA Related Problems

1 Like

Like 1

Pin It

Ranked #25,405 in Healthy Living, #357,280 overall

5 Tips For Hospitals On How To Avoid HIPAA Related Problems

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was introduced in the year 1996 to bring transparency and accountability in the health care industry. This act helps employee who have lost their jobs or may want to switch over, but are afraid of losing their insurance coverage are benefited. All health care service providers fall the category and are responsible for maintaining HIPAA rules. Health care providers include the doctors, pharmacy, hospitals, nurses etc.

5 Tips For Hospitals On How To Avoid HIPAA Related Problems

Recently, according to an article posted at the Salisbury Post in January, the Rowan Regional Medical Center of Salisbury, North Carolina, was in news as it had to undergo some voluntary corrective actions, due to the complaint filed by a patient against the hospital. If you want to avoid your establishment from making headlines in such a manner, here are few tips that will help to solve HIPAA related problems, and continue your business successfully.

1. Hospitals need to follow the rules with regards to the privacy rights of the patients. Their effort in maintaining privacy is investigated by Federal and state investigators. Any violation found in the process will result in a penalty.

2. A hospital must ensure that the staff members are given proper HIPAA training for healthcare professionals, so that they are aware of the rules they need to follow. They should also be updated, with any kind of alteration in the rules made by HIPAA.

3. Medical records should be protected electronically, and their access should be limited to the few people who are authorized. The computer or the cabinet that contains the medical records should be locked. And the computers should be locked with passwords.

4. The staff members of the hospitals or even the doctors should not discuss the patient's medical reports in public. Any authorized staff of the hospital should only be provided with limited information of the patient, info that is required for medication.

5. Any evidence found during an investigation of a breach of the privacy rules can result in written complaints to the officer of civil rights. This the reason hospitals should appoint safeguarding officers, who will keep on reviewing the privacy policies and procedures regarding access to protected health information for future updates to them.

The above tips will not only keep you away from the allegations in the form of complains, but it will also keep your hospital away from the penalties imposed by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services.