An article published earlier this month regarding Strategies for Measuring HIPAA Compliance Efforts reveals that over 35 percent of large healthcare organizations have not taken the time to evaluate how effective their HIPAA compliance measures are. A significant portion of them may be unaware of what to do in a scenario where a staff member, for example, may unintentionally divulge information they are not supposed to. Let’s explore a pair of strategies on how to measure HIPAA compliance effectiveness.
Make some time for a review. Assuming there is someone who is in charge of HIPAA compliance, have the person perform regular checkups. For instance, they could ask the staff questions about how they would respond if information about a medical record is requested. The staff should always know how to handle this process professionally and correctly. A regular review helps with keeping the information “fresh”.
Simplify things. It’s not unusual for a physician practice to be under-resourced when it comes to HIPAA staff. The administrator may be serving a dual role as the person responsible for security as well as patient privacy. If necessary, consider spreading out duties such as auditing among qualified staff, but always have an individual who is ultimately responsible for HIPAA policy auditing.
This update is by Medical Accounts Systems, a full-service healthcare revenue cycle management company providing a number of services including insurance follow up and managed care disputes, physician reimbursement, extended business office services, and more. For additional information on our services or for any questions you may have on topics such as medical debt collection, please call 877-759-6315.