Irene, an expert medical case manager, is worried about her mother, Sadie, who is 87 years old with severe cardiovascular disease and mild-to-moderate dementia. Sadie lives in an assisted living facility. Clearly, she belongs to the group identified as being the most vulnerable to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Health disparities have received plenty of attention lately, and for good reason. These differences, which exist among various groups in the United States, can affect everything from readmission rates to health outcomes and are often the result of environmental, social, and economic factors.
Q: OCR has announced that it will waive enforcement discretion for HIPAA violations that occur at COVID-19 community-based testing sites. The agency did, however, indicate that reasonable safeguards should be implemented. What are your safeguard recommendations for a testing site that is constructed in a parking lot?
