The purpose of HIPAA law was to standardize data protection practices throughout the healthcare sector.
Due to the dynamic character of the healthcare sector, it was necessary to make a few amendments to this crucial piece of legislation in order to keep it updated and enable it to address problems that have arisen as a result of evolving technology.
In this article, we will discuss about HIPAA compliance and why it is important.
HIPAA Compliance Guidelines
Given the sensitivity of the information being held and transferred, the HIPAA conversation goes considerably further. Patient consent is crucial to data exchange, but in situations when it isn’t possible (like in an emergency, with law enforcement, or for insurance claims), HIPAA’s Privacy Rule and Security Rule safeguard patients.
The HIPAA Security Rule applies to electronically protected health information, while the HIPAA Privacy Rule regulates the use and disclosure of patient information in oral or written records (e-PHI).
For instance, HIPAA compliance ensures that any information exchanged electronically is safe from unauthorized access if a doctor wants to fax a document to a hospital where a patient is receiving treatment.
HIPAA Compliance Benefits
1. Protection from the loss of PHI
One of the first ways that HIPAA helps your business is by providing loss prevention for PHI. Private healthcare information loss, or PHI loss, is indeed a serious violation. Your patients’ sensitive data are at danger when your healthcare business experiences PHI loss.
Every time you enter the workplace, you and other employees of your company come into contact with sensitive, protected health information innumerable times.
You have the choice to either secure or expose patient information each time you handle PHI. With HIPAA, you are given a proven approach to make sure every employee in your company is aware of how to keep patients’ PHI private, safe, and secure. In other words, as long as you abide by its rules, HIPAA works as physical protection for you and your team against PHI-related claims.
Your team’s success depends on how well you implement HIPAA procedures in your healthcare firm. By choosing to follow HIPAA regulations, you may be sure that your information is being appropriately protected, thereby defending yourself against legal action.
2. Enhanced Concern for Patients’ Well-Being
As healthcare professionals, we are all aware that the health of our patients comes first. We might not realise how important knowledge and sensitive data are to a patient’s overall health.
While many healthcare professionals are concerned about their patients’ physical health, they often forget how important it is for that patients’ health as well that their PHI be protected.
The opportunity to train staff members in the proper handling of patient information is provided through HIPAA Compliance. They are able to provide better service to their clients and are more aware of the effects of each interaction they have with a patient. Additionally, you may provide your team with the knowledge and skills they need to adequately safeguard PHI by providing them with HIPAA training and knowledge.
Bringing in a team that can offer HIPAA compliance services is one of the simplest methods to help raise awareness of patient well-being. They’ll be able to adequately instruct your staff about HIPAA privacy regulations and highlight their significance for your patients.