The View on Security in Healthcare Organizations Introduction Previous to HIPAA, there were no security principles or requirements for protecting or concealing patient health information in any health care organizations. As technology started to evolve, the healthcare industry began to move away from the use of paper filing and depended more on the use of electronic information systems. The short meaning of the Security Rule defines itself as confidentiality, which implies not disclosed to unauthorized persons that prohibitions against improper uses and disclosures of electronic health records. The view on security regulations in healthcare organization will provide the importance of the HIPAA Security rule as a whole in its general standards. …show more content…
With transmission of EHR, the challenges of security and privacy in healthcare organizations that may definitely damage the impact regulation are security breaches, the prevention of loss of healthcare data, meeting regulatory requirements, and securing critical systems with minimal impact on the quality of patient care. Breaches in healthcare my occur with access to patient information can expand the risk of data breaches which are usually common events. Many healthcare providers face possible adhere impact upon their reputations when they must disclose a data breach. This may cause providers to lose patients due to the reputation damage coming from the publicity about a security breach though all sorts of media outlets. With Health Information Technology for Economic Clinical Health (HITECH), it is used to improve the adoption of electronic health record systems. The HITECH Act reinforces HIPAA security and privacy regulations by increasing fines, enforce rules, and creates the first national data breach notification law which it to help the prevention of loss healthcare data. If a breach of an organization’s “unsecured” protected health information (PHI) occurs. According to Elizabeth Snell Article, HIPAA Compliance in the Cloud: Breaking Down HIPAA Rules," The HIPAA Omnibus …show more content…
Because technology is evolving and continuously changing rapidly, healthcare organizations has regularly updated electronic devices that is specialized patient care systems. This rapid pace of a change has resulted in many healthcare facilities being able to manage numerous patients and business associates remotely. This automatically enables IT departments to perform routine maintenance on electronic device, minimizing interruptions to service, and also improving the security posture of a well managed system network. The difficulty of ensuring compliance and strong IT control in a healthcare organization is increased by the variety of security issues that must be monitored and the need to complying HIPAA. In Patrick Ouellette article, HIPAA Security Rule compliance needs: Administrative safeguards, "The standard for organizations implementing administrative safeguards is to put policies and procedures to prevent, detect, contain, and correct security violations." Healthcare organizations also need to keep up with changes in these industry regulations, updating their policies and control statements
Schmeida, M. (2005). HIPAA of 1996: Just an Incremental Step in Reshaping Government. Retrieved January 25, 2011, from American Nursing Association Web Site: http://www.nursingworld.org
According to the report provided by the consultant, the employees at this facility were not taking precautions in safeguarding the patient’s health information. Therefore, the employees at this facility were in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). It is important for employees to understand the form of technology being used and the precautions they must take to safeguard patient information.
Overall these sources proved to provide a great deal of information to this nurse. All sources pertained to HIPAA standards and regulations. This nurse sought out an article from when HIPAA was first passed to evaluate the timeline prospectively. While addressing the implications of patient privacy, these articles relate many current situations nurses and physicians encounter daily. These resources also discussed possible violations and methods to prevent by using an informaticist and information technology.
Introduction The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, is a law designed “to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets, to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to promote the use of medical savings accounts, to improve access to long-term care services and coverage, to simplify the administration of health insurance, and for other purposes. ”1 HIPAA mandates that covered entities must employ technological means to ensure the privacy of sensitive information. This white paper intends to study the requirements put forth by HIPAA by examining what is technically necessary for them to be implemented, the technological feasibility of this, and what commercial, off-the-shelf systems are currently available to implement these requirements. HIPAA Overview On July 21, 1996, Bill Clinton signed HIPAA into law.
the fraction. It is obvious that the covered entity violated the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule most especially in the HIPAA Security Rule.
. HIPAA privacy rules are complicated and extensive, and set forth guidelines to be followed by health care providers and other covered entities such as insurance carriers and by consumers. HIPAA is very specific in its requirements regarding the release of information, but is not as specific when it comes to the manner in which training and policies are developed and delivered within the health care industry. This paper will discuss how HIPAA affects a patient's access to their medical records, how and under what circumstances personal health information can be released to other entities for purposes not related to health care, the requirements regarding written privacy policies for covered entities, the training requirements for medical office employees and the consequences for not following the policy.
While the HIPAA regulations call for the medical industry to reexamine how it protects patient information, the standards put in place by HIPAA do not provide ...
US Congress created the HIPAA bill in 1996 because of public concern about how their private information was being used. It is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which Congress created to protect confidentiality, privacy and security of patient information. It was also for health care documents to be passed electronically. HIPAA is a privacy rule, which gives patients control over their health information. Patients have to give permission any health care provider can disclose any information placed in the individual’s medical records. It helps limit protected health information (PHI) to minimize the chance of inappropriate disclosure. It establishes national-level standards that healthcare providers must comply with and strictly investigates compliance related issues while holding violators to civil or criminal penalties if they violate the privacy of a person’s PHI. HIPAA also has boundaries for using and disclosing health records by covered entities; a healthcare provider, health plan, and health care clearinghouse. It also supports the cause of disclosing PHI without a person’s consent for individual healthcare needs, public benefit and national interests. The portability part of HIPAA guarantees patient’s health insurance to employees after losing a job, making sure health insurance providers can’t discriminate against people because of health status or pre-existing condition, and keeps their files safe while being sent electronically. The Privacy Rule protects individual’s health information and requires medical providers to get consent for the release of any medical information and explain how private health records are protected. It also allows patients to receive their medical records from any...
HIPAA provides the first federal protection for the privacy of medical records (Burke & Weill, 2005). HIPPA encourages the use of electronic medical records and the sharing of medical records between healthcare providers, because it can aid in saving lives. HIPAA requires that patients have some knowledge of the use of their medical records and must be notified in writing of their providers' privacy policies. HIPAA has technical requirements that a healthcare provider, insurer, or service provider, unless exempt under state law, must provide. An organization must conduct a self-evaluation to learn what threats its records face, and develop techniques needed to protect the information (HIPAA, 1996).
...fines for breaches. There were federal grants and/or incentives for those organizations and individuals that chose to use the EHR via the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act. The people are so sure that the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act would work that they even provide incentives for training programs so that the people can be well educated and knowledgeable in regards to the EHR system. We all have medical records in some physician's office and we would like to know that our medical history is kept safe from those who does not have permission to access our information. Since the HITECH Act allows a variety of random audits, healthcare organizations and individuals will work harder to ensure that they are up to par on all of the federal guidelines in regards to their patients privacy and security.
With today's use of electronic medical records software, information discussed in confidence with your doctor(s) will be recorded into electronic data files. The obvious concern is the potential for your records to be seen by hundreds of strangers who work in health care, the insurance industry, and a host of businesses associated with medical organizations. Fortunately, this catastrophic scenario will likely be avoided. Congress addressed growing public concern about privacy and security of personal health data, and in 1996 passed “The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act” (HIPAA). HIPAA sets the national standard for electronic transfers of health data.
Some of the things that HIPAA does for a patient are it gives patients more control over their health information. It sets boundaries on the use and release of health records. It establishes appropriate guidelines that health care providers and others must do to protect the privacy of the patients’ health information. It holds violators accountable, in court that can be imposed if they violate patients’ privacy rights by HIPAA. Overall HIPAA makes it to where the health information can’t b...
The Health and Human Services (HHS) settled a case with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee (BCBST) for $1.5 million for violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and security rules. There are security issues with BCBST in regard to confidentiality, integrity, availability, and privacy. There are also security requirement by HIPAA which could have prevent the security issue if it has been enforced. There are correction actions taken by BCBST which were efficient and some may have not been adequate. There are HIPAA security requirements and safeguards organization need to implement to mitigate the security risk in terms of administrative, technical, and physical safeguards.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (PSQIA), Confidential Information and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA), and the Freedom of Information Act all provide legal protection under many laws. It also involves ethical protection. The patient must be able to completely trust the healthcare provider by having confidence that their information is kept safe and not disclosed without their consent. Disclosing any information to the public could be humiliating for them. Patient information that is protected includes all medical and personal information related to their medical records, medical treatments, payment records, date of birth, gender, and
Pham, Thu. "Components of a HIPAA Compliant IT Contingency Plan." OnLINE TECH. Online Tech., 19 June 2013. Web. 22 Mar. 2014. .