Q: When dealing with a natural disaster such as the California wildfires, does the HIPAA Privacy Rule allow information to be shared more easily? What are some examples of changes to the Privacy Rule during these circumstances?
The ability of healthcare organizations to defend against cyberthreats was a top priority entering 2020. As we close the book on the calendar year, the severity of these threats—and the frequency with which they are attacking healthcare organizations—has continued to increase at an alarming rate.
Q: What type of protected health information (PHI) can be used for marketing? Are authorizations always necessary when using PHI for marketing purposes? If not, what are some situations when patient authorization would not be required?
Risk is defined as the possibility that an event will occur that will adversely affect the achievement of objectives. Numerous internal and external risks can negatively affect the business intentions of management and the board. The healthcare industry is complex, and risk is everywhere.
Q: If we end a contract with a business associate (BA), does the BA need to provide us with assurance that all protected health information (PHI) has been destroyed? Is this something that should be written into the initial contract? What are the steps to take if the BA does not respond to requests to confirm deletion of PHI?
