The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a statute that was enacted in 1996, and it aims to promote the protection of confidential patient information by different healthcare facilities. Patient private information includes but is not limited to name, address, medical records, phone number, social security number, and medical treatments among others. To enhance the degree of data protection, all employees that work in the healthcare sector are supposed to take HIPAA training to ensure compliance. HIPAA training courses come in different categories that help provide crucial information that your employees should know. Read on to learn the importance of following HIPAA guidelines.
Streamline the Operations of Healthcare Facilities
Compliance with HIPAA guidelines is beneficial in that it helps to streamline the operations of all healthcare facilities. HIPAA helps improve efficiency in the operations of the healthcare industry and also ensures that the same platforms are used in sharing information. Thus, the standards used for recording and processing data aim to make sure that all healthcare institutions are using the same code sets together with identifiers that are nationally recognized. Using the same standard significantly improves the transfer of information between healthcare facilities and health plans. Failure to adhere to the HIPAA guidelines means that it may be difficult for your organization to network with other players in the health sector.
Who Needs HIPAA Training?
Companies that deal with health information for different clients should strictly observe privacy issues. The Covered entities and Business Associates are the two major organizations that should comply with HIPAA regulations. These organizations need to meet HIPAA Training compliance by ensuring that their companies are following the guidelines and standards set. Alongside these major organizations, contractors, schedules, insurance billing companies, and other professionals in the health sector are also bound by HIPAA standards.
Know HIPAA Rules
All facilities that deal with patient information and confidential data should strictly adhere to HIPAA standards. Security and HIPAA breaches attract fines that range from $1,000 up to several millions of dollars. Employees who work in any of the above sectors should get HIPAA training so that they do not violate the regulations. Every employer must ensure that all workers abide by the standards, or else they will be liable for fines and other related penalties.
Failure to follow the guidelines provided can result in consequences that badly damage the image of the organization. Companies that comply with the HIPAA regulations can save lots of money since they will be spared from fines. The government indiscriminately penalizes both small and large organizations for violations of different rules and standards.
Other categories fall under HIPAA rules, these include the following: The Privacy Rule, the Breach Notification Rule, the Enforcement Rule, and the Administrative Simplification Rule. Each rule states the requirements and regulations when handling patient information. Violation of any regulation will attract different levels of consequences that each employee must know. In other words, these rules set the standards for compliance that your organization should not breach. Therefore, it is vital to follow the guidelines of each rule to ensure that your business is not found on the wrong side of the law which can come with repercussions.
Promote Mutual Trust
Under the HIPAA framework, no patient or client information can be accessed or shared without the permission of the rightful owner. This simply means that HIPAA guidelines protect the interests of all the stakeholders impacted by the operations of the company. This can also go a long way in building mutual trust between the two parties involved which enhances the performance of your business. When the clients know that their personal information is safe and secure, they can happily do business with the organization involved. Therefore, following HIPAA guidelines is beneficial to both the clients and the organization in that they protect everyone.
HIPAA aims to protect private patient information from different entities that operate in the healthcare sector. All people who deal with patient information should undergo HIPAA training to ensure compliance with the set standards. The courses are divided into different categories, and the employees should get certification in each section. There are many guidelines provided in each HIPAA rule, and it is essential to know them. Some of these guidelines help streamline the operations of healthcare facilities.
Other provisions help the employees understand the consequences of breaching the privacy rights of the patients. Additionally, HIPAA guidelines can also help promote the development of mutual relationships between healthcare providers and patients. Many people enjoy working with organizations that respect privacy and confidentiality.