HCPro.com: Health Information Compliance Insider

Every issue of Health Information Compliance Insider is packed with ready-to-use information worth thousands of dollars to you and your organization, like advance warning from Washington on when to expect changes to and guidance on HIPAA regulations and compliance advice from leading health care lawyers.

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April 2008 (Volume 5, Issue 4)	view entire issue

Information classification: Organize a better strategy to write, enforce policy
It's probably scribbled on Post-it notes, jotted on notebook paper, saved on computer desktops or CDs, and buried in wastepaper baskets-PHI is hiding in more cracks and crevices than you can imagine. It's okay-no hospital is perfect. But is your organization making a sufficient effort to maintain a secure and clean work area and to teach staff members how to handle sensitive materials?

Conquer privacy training at your LTC facility
Editor's note: This is the second article in a two-part series about HIPAA compliance for long-term care (LTC) facilities. This article describes many of the compliance training challenges for LTC facilities. In March, HICI experts discussed the common privacy challenges that exist for LTC facilities. There is no question that the challenges LTC facilities face in terms of privacy and security compliance are unique. Most notably, the relationships that develop among staff members, residents, and residents' families often blur the lines between harmless communication and dangerous PHI exchange. But in LTC facilities, the challenges-both privacy- and training-related-don't end there.

Keep on top of security to stay compliant
Until this year, a visit from the tooth fairy seemed more likely than a visit from a HIPAA auditor to conduct a security compliance review. This is no longer the case. The federal government expects every organization to follow its security requirements and is stepping up its enforcement efforts to ensure that this happens. Organizations have had time to do what is necessary to comply with HIPAA, but the unfortunate truth is that many would not fare well in a HIPAA audit.

Other recently-published articles from Health Information Compliance Insider:

Discipline with the intent to educate when responding to HIPAA violations to minimize future incidents

Disaster preparedness: Design, update, and practice your disaster recovery and business continuity plans

Keep cell phone use compliant

Attention to detail, information exchange process makes Oregon DHS a compliance success story

Offshoring a potentially risky cost saver for organizations

HIPAA compliance in the ER

What you may not know about HIPAA but probably should

Train billing and coding staff members on HIPAA

Minimize mistakes when responding to the media

Medical identity theft an increasing challenge

What you may not know about HIPAA: Interesting facts and little-known requirements

Train patient access staff members on HIPAA

Train your environmental services staff

Understand e-discovery and what it means for you

HIPAA and the modern blended, extended family

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