By Matt Fisher – An easy to overlook aspect of the HIPAA Privacy Rule is the requirement that all uses and disclosures be of the “minimum necessary” amount of protected health information. That means the least amount of information needed for the intended purpose should be used.
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By Matt Fisher – The excuses for health information not freely flowing are numerous, but very often come back to alleged privacy concerns under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and its associated regulations, or “HIPAA” as it is more often referred to.
By Matt Fisher – It is a thorny and complicated question since access comes in many forms. Is an individual requesting a copy of their record for personal use, or to send to another provider for continuity of care purposes, or are the records going to an attorney for potential litigation?
By Matt Fisher – The seemingly non-stop move from one natural disaster or health emergency to another places a significant strain on the healthcare system. Providers either cannot reach a facility, whether hospital or otherwise, or patients overwhelm a particular facility.
By Matt Fisher – Communication by text or email is a part of daily life. Such forms of communication occur non-stop and through a variety of means whether it be Gmail, WhatsApp, iMessage, or any other number of services.
By Matt Fisher – Regulatory schemes for the protection of data, whether healthcare or otherwise, are often criticized in the US for being fragmentary and siloed. No coordinated regulatory framework exists because that is not the way the law was implemented.
By Rita Bowen – As of September 30, 2013, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has received over 141,754 complaints. Over 24,500 of these led to OCR investigations, resulting in required changes to privacy practices, corrective actions or technical assistance.
By Mike Semel – The Office for Civil Rights announced that the new permanent audit program has started. On July 11 letters were sent BY E-MAIL (check your junk mail folders!) to 167 health plans, health care providers, and health care clearing houses (all HIPAA Covered Entities) notifying them that they have to send in documentation for a ‘desk audit.’ They will have 10 days to send in the required materials for review.
By Matt Fisher – A patient contacts their physician’s office and asks for a copy of their medical record. The expected response would seem to be obvious. Sure, we will copy the record and send it to your shortly. Not only will the record be sent, but it will be sent in an easily accessible format and exactly as requested.