Privacy Officer In Health Care

Healthcare technology has grown and evolved over time. With the conversion to electronic medical records and the creation of social media just to name a few, ensuring patient privacy is of the utmost importance for healthcare facilities in this day and age. In order for an organization to avoid hefty fines, it is imperative that a healthcare administrator maintains compliance with the standards and regulations associated with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This paper will provide a summary

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed by congress in 1996, and helps to ensure the privacy and security of Electronic Health Records (EHR's). By following the rules and regulations set forth under HIPAA, we can ensure the safety of patients' EHR's. We are responsible for protecting patients' records, and there are many measures we can take in order do this. Firstly, we must always keep patients' health information private. This means no discussing the records with people that are not authorized to know, and even then, we should only disclose the minimum necessary amount of information possible. For covered entities, we must designate a privacy and security officer to ensure the privacy

Modern communications capabilities open up a world of possibilities for all types of medical practices to develop deeper connections with their patients and to manage health care remotely. The HIPAA Privacy Rule gives patients the right to obtain copies of their medical records, treatments and protected health information or PHI. These requirements go further if medical providers want to receive reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid -- patients must be able to access their records online, download copies and transmit the information to third-party providers. Most medical practices are finding it necessary to develop patient portals where patients and physicians can interact, share information and perform important functions such as practices billing patients and accepting payments online. HIPAA 's rules require that these patient portals have strong security and privacy protections to prevent unauthorized access of these confidential PHI records.

Patient privacy has been a major concern for patients and medical staff for many years. Patient privacy goes hand in hand with HIPPA and the privacy rule. This protects the privacy of any person of all health information (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Even with this a concern for many, a study conducted by Zogby Internation studies more than 2000 adults to obtain their views on patient privacy. This studied determined that individuals would rather have individual choice and control over personal health information instead of others (Patient Privacy Rights, 2010).

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was intricately designed to provide not only a more efficient health care system but also as a protection for private patient information and data. With the widespread use of technology and computers in hospitals, the availability of patient information, their health portfolio, and their previous care has greatly improved the efficiency of health care. However, this also means that there is greater leeway for that information to be lost and/or shared without patients consent.

The breach of patients’ confidential information does not only jeopardize our reputation and reduce the public trust in our organization, it could also lead to severe financial consequences. Under HIPAA law, if an organization is found guilty of unauthorized disclosure of patient medical record, they could face prison time harsh privacy violation penalty. We are sure that none of us want this to happen to our organization. So how can we prevent medical record security leak and better protect our patients’ privacy while also providing the best care possible to all our patients? The following guidelines and

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was signed into legislation in 1996, with the final version of its privacy rules going into effect in 2002. In addition to insurance and healthcare transaction regulations, HIPAA includes two key features. First, the portability of health care for workers who transition between jobs. Second, HIPAA regulates how patient’s health information must be secured with detailed privacy policies. It is important that HIPAA practices are employed by the clinic for several reasons. First and foremost, it is legally required by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HIPAA non-compliance can lead to financial penalties and lost accreditation with The Joint Commission which will have

The significance of patient privacy and the security of confidential information are increasingly vital given the approval of electronic health records. Healthcare providers have recognized striking prices due to security threats and subsequent breaches. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2002), under the Privacy Rule healthcare establishments must establish protections that establish procedures and rules that guarantee least levels of privacy in relation to patient information. When violations are recognized, it is required that a compliant be created by the individual or unit experiencing the violation. In the complaint, the name of the person who participated in the violation, in addition to the nature of the violation, must be comprehensive. The filing of the complaint initiates an investigation by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under HIPAA values (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). The establishment of a procedure related to privacy violations has resulted in many cases relating to electronic data breaches. Next is a consideration of two such cases to demonstrate the role of privacy in regards to HIPAA and electronic health database breaches.

There are several parts that make up the privacy portion of HIPAA, all of which are enforced by the Office of Civil Rights. There is the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which outlines the steps organizations should take to protect the medical records and health information of patients; the HIPAA Security Rule, protecting electronic medical records; the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, which mandates that certain healthcare organizations and businesses report breaches of personal health information; and the privacy portion of the Patient Safety Rule, which disallows identifiers of specific patients in reviewing safety and clinical quality events (Health Information Privacy, n.d.).

Peel’s interpretation of the HIPAA regulation is that “HIPAA does not protect privacy” (Peel, 2014). She explains that health data is continuously being bought and sold between multiple different agencies and that data breaches are due to a policy problem and not a technology problem (Peel, 2014). This stance on the lack of privacy and security under HIPAA is an accurate point of view. Amendments to the HIPAA in 2002 included eliminating required consent for PHI disclosure, changing the policy for obtaining patient consent allowing for the free oral communication between doctors to discuss patients’ PHI, clarifying the current physician’s discretion to provide or deny access to children’s health records, restricting PHI for marketing purposes or use by parties not directly involved in patient care, and provisions for providers regarding billing and business practices (Norman, & Burroughs, 2002, p. 865-866). These amendments that eliminate the need for patient consent further degrade the lack of protection of PHI. Dr. Peel challenges the medical community to expose the continuous transfer of vital patient records between third party corporations in an attempt to draw attention and make a positive change toward proper security of patient’s

A patient’s right to privacy is one of the most important and protected elements of healthcare today. Patient health information is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and even more so by the HIPAA Privacy Rule. “The HIPAA Privacy Rule is a key federal law governing the privacy and confidentiality of patient information.” (Brodnik, Rinehart-Thompson, Reynolds. 2012 pg. 215.) The law governing patient privacy has two goals, “to provide an individual with greater rights with

Privacy and security law questions can become challenging in a telemedicine setting because of the nature of the data and the ways in which it is being used.  Telemedicine is increasingly becoming a medium for generating, transmitting and storing large volumes of electronic health information, and as telemedicine platforms and delivery models continue to evolve, the ways in which providers are creating and using health information are constantly changing.

When it comes to health care, one of patients’ primary concerns is the protection of their private information. It is for this reason that Congress created the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIPAA affects nearly all communication between patients, providers, payers, and intermediates such as pharmacies (Fremgen, 2012). Physicians may need to refer a patient to another practice for tests or further treatment. At any time, a patient has the right to request copies of his or her medical records. To collect payment for services, a clinic may need to provide an insurance company with the patient’s diagnosis. Staff must also cooperate when circumstances unrelated to patient care require the release of confidential information. It is critical that staff avoids confusion and properly implements the privacy policy. Medical personnel must exercise caution when communicating patient information, be familiar with special circumstances, and not misinterpret the privacy laws to the detriment of patients and other involved parties.

Privacy and confidentiality are basic rights in our society. Safeguarding those rights, with respect to an individual’s personal health information, is our ethical and legal obligation as health care providers. Doing so in today’s health care environment is increasingly challenging (OJIN, 2005).

The third step that health care institutions will need to implent to be successful is the use of technology and system integration. Technology is a vital change in health care. Technology changes everyday and so does the way that we use it. Currently, most health care institutions operate on a interdependent system but, due to the need for patient information to be accessed from any health care organization systems are slowly starting to become more interoperable with the goal that all health care organizations will be connected by one large system. With the increased technology and the need for these systems health care officals have to also be concerned about patient privacy. As healthcarebusiness tech.com(2016) states " As technology in