HIPAA

“Identify theft is not a joke, Jim. Millions of families suffer every year.” – Dwight Schrute. Remember this iconic line from The Office? While the TV show meant to ridicule his social awkwardness, this statement is very true in real life.  Patient health information is valuable in the black market and can be used to…

Healthcare practices and research centers access, transmit and store patient data. This information is legally protected by the Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act (HIPAA). The HIPAA consent form ensures patients and health facilities are contractually obligated to their rights and responsibilities. This article discusses what a HIPAA consent form is, what it contains, and…

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is a federal law that the U.S. passed in 1996 for the healthcare industry. Its main aim is to protect the privacy and security of a patient’s health information.  HIPAA has two main rules: the privacy rule and the security rule. The security rule enforces the privacy rule…

Healthcare service providers regularly access or communicate protected health information (PHI) between themselves or healthcare workers. An efficient and convenient way to communicate is through text messages. While it offers speed and accessibility, it is not always secure and susceptible to a breach incident. PHI handlers must find a way to balance convenience and security….

Medical information is extremely sensitive. In the past, there was a sense of ambiguity on who has access to it and how that access is governed. This confusion was the driving factor behind Congress giving a green light to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which includes a set of regulations known as…

Much of the administrative simplification rule of HIPAA focuses on preventing unauthorized disclosure of protected health information (PHI). A good practice that helps to protect PHI is applying the HIPAA minimum necessary rule standard.  This article details what this rule entails, how it works, cases where it is not applicable, and what happens when you…