Q: A patch was installed within the EHR at my facility last week. While using the system this week, my coworker and I received an error message. Should we alert staff of this performance issue?
Protecting your patients’ PHI does not mean just having a breach prevention plan in place and a strong risk analysis program. It’s also about preparing a breach contingency plan, because in today’s world it’s almost inevitable that you’ll experience a breach.
On June 28, a woman from Butler, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury, accused of wrongfully obtaining and disclosing protected health information (PHI) in violation of HIPAA.
Q: I work in a skilled nursing facility and would like to post the level of assistance needed and precautions on a dry erase board in patients’ rooms for nursing assistant use. Is this allowed?
A legislative effort is underway to align some of the provisions of 42 CFR Part 2—the privacy regulation that governs the use and disclosure of substance use disorder information maintained by programs known as “Part 2” programs—with HIPAA.
The U.S. House passed the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act (HR 6082) on June 20 to amend the Public Health Service Act and protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder (SUD) patient records.
Around a dozen employees of the Washington Health System (WHS) in Washington County, Pennsylvania, have reportedly been suspended for HIPAA violations involving alleged inappropriate access to patient records, according to the Washington County Observer-Reporter.
HIPAA requires covered entities to protect and confidentially handle patients’ protected health information. Organizations must remain vigilant or they risk violating HIPAA
