Health Information Management

JCAHO updates business associate agreement

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, January 24, 2003

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The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) recently released an addendum to the business associate agreement it posted late last year on its Web site.

Under the privacy rule, accreditors are considered business associates. The JCAHO developed the single business associate agreement to use with all accredited organizations.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) worked with the JCAHO to resolve concerns with the proposed business associate agreement, and the JCAHO expects to make no further changes to the language of the agreement at this time, according to the AHA.

"The issues involved with the accreditation process and the need for and access to personally identified health information is similar for all providers," says the JCAHO. "The use of a common agreement will reduce the cost and complexity of implementation for both the Joint Commission and the accredited organizations."

Go to http://www.jcaho.org/accredited+organizations/office+based+surgery/survey+process/bag.pdf to view the addendum and http://www.hospitalconnect.com/aha/key_issues/hipaa/resources/JCAHOBusinessAssociateAgreement.html to read more.



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