Health Information Management

HIPAA Pop quiz

HIM Connection, March 2, 2004

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to HIM Connection!

Think you're a HIM hotshot? Try your hand at HIM Connection's HIPAA pop quiz to find out whether you and your staff make the grade when it comes to protecting patient privacy.

True or false?

1. Criminal penalties for improperly disclosing private health information can include fines of up to $250,000 and prison sentences of up to 10 years.

2. Privacy laws do not allow healthcare providers to report suspected abuse and certain PHI to authorities, even when other laws require it.

3. Confidentiality protections cover not only a patient's health-related information, such as the reason for treatment, but also information such as address, age, Social Security number, and phone number.

4. Passwords should include both letters and numbers or other special characters.

5. All inpatients must be listed in the patient directory.

6. Your facility must make any amendments to records that patients request.

7. Patients do not have the right to see or copy psychotherapy notes that document or analyze the contents of conversation during a counseling session, that are kept separate from the rest of the patient's medical record.

8. Any employee who violates the organization privacy policy is subject to punishments up to and including termination.

9. Facilities must obtain authorization from new mothers before sending their names and addresses to a local cloth-diaper service.

10. Transcriptionists who work from home can use the family computer to do their work.

Think you aced the final exam? Check out the answers to these questions at the bottom of the newsletter.

This week's excerpt is from the HCPro handbook, "HIPAA Training Handbook forn HIM Staff." To order or learn more, click here: http://www.hcmarketplace.com/Prod.cfm?id=1321&s=EHIMC.

 

 

Kate Alvarez

Editorial Assistant

kalvarez@hcpro.com

 

 

 

 

Pop quiz answers:

1. T

2. F

3. T

4. T

5. F

6. F

7. T

8. T

9. T

10. F



Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to HIM Connection!

  • Briefings on APCs

    Worried about the complexities of the new rules under OPPS and APCs? Briefings on APCs helps you understand the new rules...

  • Medical Records Briefing

    Guiding Health Information Management professionals through the continuously changing field of medical records and toward a...

  • Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies

    Submitting improper Medicare documentaion can lead to denial of fees, payback, fines, and increased diligence from payers...

  • Briefings on HIPAA

    How can you minimize the impact of HIPAA? Subscribe to Briefings on HIPAA, your health information management resource for...

  • APCs Weekly Monitor

    This HTML-based e-mail newsletter provides weekly tips and advice on the new ambulatory payment classifications regulations...

Most Popular

Related Articles