HCPro.com: HIPAA Weekly Advisor

This e-mail newsletter delivers how-to advice and breaking news on HIPAA regulations each week. Stay informed on timely topics, security news and regulations, and analysis of proposed and final HIPAA rules that will ensure patient information security.

September 1, 2008 (Volume 9, Issue 35)

Q. One of our physical therapy providers may sell his practice and has inquired whether HIPAA is a consideration with respect to his patients in this situation.
Q. One of our physical therapy providers may sell his practice and has inquired whether HIPAA is a consideration with respect to his patients in this situation. Specifically, must he notify patients that their charts would be included in a sale of his practice? May patients prevent the transfer of their records or charts as part of the sale?

Healthcare staff frequent participants in medical identity theft


Swedish hospital suspends nurse who posted surgery photos on Facebook
A Stockholm hospital has suspended one of its nurses upon learning that she posted 14 photographs of two surgical procedures on her Facebook page, The Daily Telegraph reported August 19.

Transition to ICD-10 to include HIPAA electronic transaction standards update
On August 22, HHS announced a proposed regulation to replace the ICD-9 code sets now used to report healthcare diagnoses and inpatient procedures with the more advanced ICD-10-CM code set.

Other recently-published articles from HIPAA Weekly Advisor:

Educators call for Electronic Health Records protection

Cover your ground on remote access employees

Healthcare employee fired after leaving laptop unattended

Q. A member of the media contacts a hospital to inquire about a particular patient and identifies that patient by name. May the hospital respond to this request for information without obtaining patient authorization?

Oregon VA posts patient information on Web

Tip: Disaster preparedness

AHIMA provides ROI guidelines

Q. Do nurses violate HIPAA when they give patients injections or take their vital signs in public areas, such as hallways, instead of private areas?

Tip: Ensure that staff members’ cell phone use is compliant

Jacksonville hospital fires staff members for accessing NFL player’s medical records

NIST releases guidelines for cell phone and PDA security

AHA endorses tool to protect against medical identity theft

Q. One of our employees recently reported for jury duty. During the selection process, the employee took an oath to respond truthfully to questions.

Tip: Update and practice your disaster plan with staff members

AHIMA reiterates importance of protecting privacy and security of health records

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