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Issue 12, December 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Prepare ahead of time for security incidents

  Section 164.308 (6) of the security rule requires your organization to establish policies and...

• ISO involvement central to EHR transition

  Information security officers (ISO) in healthcare institutions today encounter a variety of medical...

• Work with marketing to ensure compliance

  It's a familiar business fact that it's much easier and cheaper to sell to your existing customers...

• JCAHO's confidentiality, security standards reflect HIPAA

  When it comes to patient confidentiality and information security, organizations have a lot more...

• Highlights from the latest NPI roundtable

  The May 23, 2007, NPI compliance date is fast approaching, and providers still have a lot of...

Issue 11, November 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Address patient privacy when going electronic

  The transition from paper to electronic health records (EHR) brings many advantages, including...

• Security compliance depends on work force training

  The HIPAA privacy and security rules require your organization to adopt a variety of policies and...

• New Orleans hospital puts care first when faced with disaster

  When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August 2005, it left Children's Hospital closed for six...

• Information security officer has a diverse role in HIE

  If your organization is considering joining a health information exchange (HIE) with other regional...

• Q&A: Caller ID, patient authorizations, and sign-in sheets

  Editor's note: Brandt is president of Brandt & Associates, Inc., a healthcare consulting firm in...

Issue 10, October 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• HIPAA doesn't have to get in the way of marketing

  In general, HIPAA's privacy rule requires prior authorization from individuals when organizations...

• Prevent social engineers from accessing your data

  Audit for work force awareness Your organization probably wants a work force that is friendly...

• Map data flow, clean existing data to prepare for NPI

  To move into the new NPI environment, you must create several crosswalks to submit claims properly...

• Q&A: Transitioning to an EMR, scanning, and more

  Editor's note: Advice given is general. Readers should consult professional counsel for specific...

Issue 9, September 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Management buy-in won't come cheaply

  Assessing and responding to security threats is your ongoing responsibility. Unfortunately, the...

• Crosswalking, system modifications necessary for NPIs

  The transition from existing legacy numbers to NPIs presents a fundamental change in the way that...

• Tackle portability risks with a comprehensive policy

  With the recent laptop theft from the home of an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs...

• Focus amendments on accuracy, patient satisfaction

  Section 164.526(a)(1) of the privacy rule gives patients the right to amend their PHI. But HIPAA...

• Q&A: Reporting fire injuries, notifying patients of breaches, and more

  Editor's note: Brandt is president of Brandt & Associates, Inc., a healthcare consulting firm in...

Issue 8, August 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Improve training with case scenarios, open communication, and follow-up

  If you've been training your staff on the privacy regulations, stop! You should be training them on...

• Beware of patient/visitor technology

  Parents use laptop computers to look up their child's condition, giving them valuable information...

• Make ongoing auditing part of the compliance effort

  Six risk areas to address during your next privacy audit Your organization needs to have the...

• Eleven tips to improve your perimeter protection

  Manage your firewalls with regular reviews, security tools A firewall is a security necessity...

• Q&A: Verifying identity, access policy, audit logs, and more

  Editor's note: Apgar is president of Portland, OR-based Apgar & Associates, LLC. He has more than...

Issue 7, July 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Preserve electronic data for potential litigation to avoid sanctions

  Any organization might find itself involved in a legal dispute regardless of the organization's...

• Get ready for the PR challenge

  Initiate a relationship with PR officials before a breach During the response to a security...

• Make EHR policies coincide with privacy compliance

  Setting HIPAA privacy apart from confidentiality and release of information can be confusing and...

• Q&A: Privacy in the ED, patients who are friends or relatives

  Editor's note: Mary Brandt, MBA, RHIA, CHE, CHPS, is president of Brandt & Associates, Inc., a...

Issue 6, June 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Catch up now on NPI preparation

  May 23, 2007, is the date when most providers must begin using their NPIs to identify themselves in...

• Focus on authorization, documentation before sharing PHI with friends/family

  When it comes to HIPAA, there are grey areas in which it's not always clear whether a use or...

• Revisit security rule compliance in your small practice

  Although the security rule compliance date passed more than a year ago, your small practice...

• Make audit logging more than just data collection

  Using the data is as important as recording it HIPAA requires your organization to establish...

• Q&A: Server room security, e-mail encryption, and safeguards

  Editor's note: Apgar is chair of the Oregon and Southwest Washington Healthcare, Privacy and...

Issue 5, May 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Make networking, monitoring part of your ongoing compliance efforts

  Privacy officials and compliance officers who believed they could rest on their laurels once the...

• Go back to basics when securing remote access at your facility

  Conduct a risk assessment, train employees on policy Protecting PHI and your network's security...

• Bring balance, flexibility to your privacy investigations

  Learn how one privacy officer uses violations to educate A privacy investigation can be a...

• Weigh requirements, desire to inform patients when changing privacy practices

  Don't waste effort resending notices, but maintain appropriate communication Since the privacy...

Issue 4, April 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• HHS issues final enforcement rule

  All administrative simplification provisions now covered The wait is over for HIPAA's final...

• Take a closer look at what went wrong for Providence Health System

  Oregon-based Providence Health System-one of the largest healthcare delivery systems in the United...

• Tackle internal, external threats with a third-party penetration testing regimen

  With the multitude of free tools and audit logs available to organizations today, you can...

• Avoid a HIPAA emergency in your organization's ED

  Although one of the goals of HIPAA is to protect patient privacy, the regulations should never get...

• Electronic claims attachment pilot shows promise

  Providers, payers save money going paperless; participants recommend rule changes As your...

• Q&A: Single sign-on, risk assessments, and audits

  Editor's note: Beaver is an independent information security consultant with Atlanta-based...

Issue 3, March 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Spice up your HIPAA training

  Tailor educational efforts to strengths, weaknesses A lot has changed since HHS first...

• Improve password security, usability with single sign-on technology

  Although security experts regard multiple passwords as being more secure because they...

• Respond to privacy complaints with stellar service

  Appropriately addressing concerns can go a long way toward saving your facility’s reputation...

• Q&A: Put to rest your nagging NPI concerns

  More than two million healthcare providers are required to use the new, unique NPI by May 2007 in...

Issue 2, February 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Reference HIPAA, state law when dealing with law enforcement

  Juggling law enforcement and HIPAA regulations can be tricky. The gray areas and confusing...

• Fight off hackers by focusing on these risk areas

  When it comes to information security, most potential risks are internal-specifically in terms of...

• Double-click to log on to the benefits of patient, visitor Internet access

  Balance security and costs when picking an access configuration Giving patients and their...

Issue 1, January 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Don’t let mobile devices walk away with important information

  Mobile devices such as laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDA), and tablet personal...

• Ensure business-as-usual when switching to new identifiers

  Overcome NPI obstacles by negotiating with payers Two areas likely to be the most problematic...

• Identify, document unique business relationships to ensure compliance

  Understand the difference between affiliated entities, OHCAs, and hybrids If the HIPAA...

• Q&A: Eight security resolutions for the new year

  By Kate Borten, CISSP, CISM Many healthcare organizations acknowledge that they are not yet...

• Click here for e-mail security that fits your organization

  Narrow the field by setting specific requirements, testing customer service HIPAA’s...