A key part of the HIPAA Privacy Rule is allowing patients to access their own medical records when and how they request it. This is known as “right of access.” As HHS explains, “Providing individuals with easy access to their health information empowers them to be...
If you’re a HIPAA-covered organization that uses social media (and you probably do), beware of HIPAA violations. Breaches happen all the time through a healthcare organization’s social media accounts or from their employees’ personal accounts. Common breaches...
As a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-covered provider, you are required to distribute a Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) document to your patients. This notice fulfills a three-fold purpose: Describe to the patient the uses and disclosures...
A point of confusion for many nurses is how to use nursing whiteboards. A nurses’ whiteboard (or sometimes an LCD screen) is located behind the nurse’s station in a hospital unit, inside patient rooms, or in the operating room or emergency room. The nurses’ station...
When divorced or separated parents approach you about their child’s medical records, it can be hard to know what to do. Should you share the minor’s medical information? Who exactly should have access to this information? Are there times when you should refuse this...
The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires you to verify the identity and authority of a person requesting protected health information (PHI) unless the person is already known by your organization. The rule is flexible about how you get verification. However, there are basic...