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Consider using exams, posters to reinforce privacy training

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, September 28, 2002

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Facilities must complete all privacy training by April 14, 2003. But making sure employees understand what you've taught them is just as important as conducting the training in the first place.

Here's how two facilities plan to follow up on their training sessions.

West Georgia Health System
"There will be a 10-question exam for everyone to take after the training," says Bonnie Gum, CLS, MEd, allied health educator at West Georgia Health System, in LaGrange. "We're not sure at this point what we'll do if staff fail the test, but they'll probably have to go back and go through the training again," she adds. West Georgia Health System has already developed the test that will be given to employees after the first round of training. It recently bought a computer-based learning system and will gradually add to a database of questions.

"You can set the test to have random questions," explains Gum. "There may be 15 questions on the test, but 50 questions in the database." The variety of questions keeps the test from being boring, she says. It also prevents staff from knowing which questions will be asked.

Staff will then have to take an annual exam on the general points of the HIPAA privacy rule. Employees can take a tutorial first or go straight to the test. If they flunk, they'll have to take the tutorial and retake the exam, says Gum.

"Department heads are responsible for training on policies and procedures," Gum adds.

West Georgia Health System's privacy training has not been finalized, but Gum says it has broken the training into two segments.

Go to http://www.himinfo.com/news/feature.cfm?content_id=23651 to read more.

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