HIPAA Overview

Let's continue with a general review of what is HIPAA, its purpose and where it applies.

HIPAA Definitions & Lexicon

We’ll now make a brief tour of basic HIPAA definitions to familiarize with lexicon.

The HITECH Act

Now that we have explained the electronic protected health information definition, let’s focus on the HITECH Act – or Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act.

Main HIPAA Regulatory Rules

The HIPAA regulations are divided into several major standards or rules. Let's present briefly the main regulatory rules to consider.

HIPAA Omnibus Final Rule

Final omnibus rule is the last HIPAA major legislative update. It came to complete the regulation changes included in HITECH Act.

HIPAA Privacy Rule Basics

The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals' medical records and other individually identifiable health information. It applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and all health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically.

HIPAA Security Rule

The HIPAA Security Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals’ electronic personal health information that is created, received, used, or maintained by a covered entity. The Security Rule requires appropriate administrative, physical and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of electronic protected health information.

HIPAA Patient Rights

It’s important to notice that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act also reinforce patient rights and their control over personal informations. So what are patient rights under HIPAA?

HIPAA Training Summary

Threats to Patient Data

One other major aspect of HIPAA regulation is to provide rules facing threats to patient data. Personal data and Electronic Health Records (EHR) contain a host of sensitive information. In general, we define four types of data threat sources: • Adversarial • Accidental • Structural • Environmental

Computer Safety Rules

To prevent effectively against data threats and comply to HIPAA, there are significant rules for computer safety that covered entities should follow. Let’s review the fundamentals of safe computing!

HIPAA and Social Media

HIPAA sets legal boundaries on how protected health information can be used and disclosed on social media. The boundaries apply to pratically every piece of information about patients that can possibly identify them.

HIPAA and Emergency Situations

In an emergency situation, covered entities must continue to implement reasonable safeguards to protect patient information. However, their employees are permitted to waive certain HIPAA requirements. Let's focus now on how HIPAA rules apply in emergency situations!

Recent HIPAA Updates

Although there have not been any major updates to HIPAA regulations since the Omnibus final rule of 2013, there has been interpretative and legislative activity elsewhere that indirectly impact HIPAA and how it's applied.

HIPAA Violation Consequences

A HIPAA violation is a failure to comply with any aspect of HIPAA standards and provisions. Failure to comply with HIPAA regulation can expose the covered entities to severe consequences. But what are the penalties for a Hipaa violation?

Preventing HIPAA Violations

HIPAA affects nearly every aspect of the business of healthcare. It requires that all healthcare employees do their utmost to protect patient health information. Most violations can be easily prevented by implementing HIPAA regulations into the practice's policies and procedures, and ensuring that all individuals with access to patient information receive the proper training.