Health Information Management

Train your work force to be HIPAA ready

HIM Connection, November 9, 2010

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To effectively train your staff on HIPAA, mix things up and be creative. “There is a lot of evidence that you have to teach things many different ways,” says Chris Simons, RHIA, director of utilization management and HIM and privacy officer at Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook, ME.

Relying solely on an oral or written presentation means you are missing many creative ways to train staff members, she says.
 
Simons uses HIPAA crossword puzzles, seek-and-find puzzles, posters, and screensavers to convey her message. She also distributes informative articles about well-publicized breaches.
 
Find new ways to spread your message, says Phyllis A. Patrick, MBA, FACHE, CHC, cofounder and managing director of AP Health Care Compliance Group, which has offices in Pittsburgh and Purchase, NY. These might include describing scenarios in newsletters, presenting information at safety fairs, and sharing messages from the CEO. Don’t think that the annual online training module is adequate to meet training needs.
 
Editor’s note: For more tips on HIPAA training, see the November issue of Briefings on HIPAA.



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