Q: I work in a residential care facility, and we have smart speakers in some resident rooms. Patient information is discussed where these smart devices can “hear” it. Although most manufacturers claim speakers are not “listening in,” we all hear about how speakers sometimes do what manufacturers say they do not. Could these speakers lead to a HIPAA violation?
Q: Is there anything that a hospital needs to do regarding HIPAA and the confidentiality of famous patients? Obviously employees shouldn’t snoop, but can you recommend any added protections?
CMS’ inpatient-only rule seems simple enough on the surface—certain specified procedures, all noted in the OPPS inpatient-only list, must be performed on an inpatient basis regardless of the patient’s expected length of stay. But as with anything in healthcare, implementing this rule is hardly simple, and many organizations continue to misapply it and lose revenue as a result. Get expert answers to common inpatient-only compliance stumbling blocks.
Starting January 1, 2020, the education and operations testing period will kick off, and organizations will be required to report appropriate use criteria (AUC) consultation information. Learn what you can do now to help your organization prepare to report AUCs in 2020 and beyond.
