Q: My child’s school requires parents to send a doctor’s note when a student is out sick for more than two days. After providing this note for my child, their teacher spoke to me and mentioned information she could only have learned if she had read the note. Is this a HIPAA violation? Are schools covered by HIPAA if they request doctor's notes?
Slack recently updated its listing of compliance certifications and regulations to include HIPAA, which suggests it may be working toward functionality that would allow healthcare providers to share sensitive patient health information.
Q: I work for a small hospital. Do we need to ask our business associates (BA) to provide us with copies of their agreements with their BA subcontractors?
Learn how to emphasize the clinical value of the documentation and establish policies and training that support medically and legally sound notes while making the best use of physicians’ time.
In recent months, OCR has expressed concern that providers and other covered entities may be reluctant to inform and involve the loved ones of individuals facing health crises like opioid use disorder for fear of violating HIPAA. Here, we look at some common misconceptions about privacy under HIPAA and point to the information that patients and families need to know.