Security of sensitive information is now a major concern for all businesses in the digital age. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, is a law which provides guidelines for the healthcare industry to manage the storage, handling, and protecting health information. HIPAA compliance for healthcare providers is essential to preserve their credibility, ensure patient privacy, and avoid penalties.
HIPAA encompasses all healthcare providers, healthcare plans, healthcare clearinghouses and business associates. PHI could contain any information that could be used to identify a person for identification purposes, such as addresses, names and credit card numbers. It also includes details regarding medical conditions and procedures. PHI is highly valuable in the black market due to the possibility of its use for identity fraud.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule provides guidelines regarding the use and disclosure of health-related personal information (PHI). Companies that are covered must formulate and implement policies and procedures to protect the confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of electronic PHI (ePHI). The policies and procedures provide security awareness training, as well as other measures, including access controls as well as security procedures for incidents. The covered entities must restrict their use and disclosure of PHI only to the extent that is required to accomplish the objective that they are used or disclosed.
The HIPAA Security Rule requires covered entities to ensure the security, confidentiality, and availability of ePHI through the use of reasonable and appropriate administrative, physical and technical safeguards. These safeguards include access control, integrity controls, audit controls, transmission security and contingency planning. They are also required to regularly assess risk levels to detect potential vulnerabilities and to implement measures to limit the risks.
The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule obliges covered entities to notify affected individuals, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and in some cases media about any breach of encrypted PHI. The rule defines breach as the purchase, access, use or disclosure of PHI in a way not permitted by the Privacy Rule that compromises the privacy or security of the PHI. The covered entity need to conduct a risk evaluation to determine the possibility that the PHI has been compromised as well as the damage that could result from the breach.
HIPAA compliance requires ongoing training and education of employees to ensure that they fully understand their responsibilities regarding patient privacy and security. The covered entities must also conduct regular risk assessments to determine vulnerabilities and then implement mitigation measures. These measures may include implementing security measures, encryption of ePHI, and developing plans of action in the event an incident involving security.
Technology has had a profound impact on virtually every aspect of modern life and healthcare is no exception. Electronic health records have proven revolutionary in allowing healthcare professionals to manage and store patient information seamlessly. This has led to major cybersecurity risks, and strict conformity with HIPAA is essential. Data of patients is highly sensitive and must be safe at all times. The importance of HIPAA is greater than ever due to the increasing threat of cyberattacks. HIPAA is an act that can help ensure privacy of patients and information security, thereby increasing patients’ trust in their health care providers.
HIPAA compliance can help healthcare providers safeguard the privacy of patients and maintain the trust of patients. HIPAA violation can result in large fines, lawsuits or reputational harm. Office for Civil Rights of Department of Health and Human Services (OCR) enforces HIPAA regulations and has the authority to review complaints and investigate the level of compliance.
HIPAA compliance in the digital age is vital for healthcare institutions. HIPAA’s regulations provide clear guidelines on how to manage, store, handle, and safeguard protected health information. Health care institutions must have in place policies and procedures to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations. They must perform regular risk assessments, and educate and train their employees. They can avoid penalities for financial and legal reasons by maintaining trust among patients.
For more information, click why was hipaa created