As a professional operating within the healthcare industry, you understand the importance of staying up-to-date on HIPAA requirements. This article will help keep you informed of the top HIPAA compliance issues to address in 2023, so you can take proactive steps to ensure your organization is compliant and decrease the risk of unnecessary penalties.
We will
provide you with insights and recommendations for the top five HIPAA
requirements, which are essential for protecting your organization from common violations and even insider
threats. Recent OCR Enforcement Results have highlighted the consequences of
failing to provide timely access to a patient's medical record, and audits are
increasingly targeting smaller to medium businesses. Keep reading to get the
essential information you need to stay compliant.
Top 5 HIPAA Compliance Issues to Address in 2023
Staying on top of HIPAA compliance is critical for healthcare workers nationwide, so we recommend keeping vigilant to these most common violations.
We've analyzed the OCR Enforcement Results to get an outline of the reoccurring issues to prevent. With this knowledge, you can identify the solutions needed to help your business address these issues and stay compliant. So, let's dive into the top five HIPAA compliance issues to address in 2023.
#1. Ensuring the "Right of Access"
The key is a
timely response to authorized requests. Examine situations where patients might
be denied access to their PHI. Perhaps not being provided with a copy of their
PHI quickly enough. Failing to provide patients with a physical or an ePHI copy
is increasingly the top issue cited within HHS enforcement data.
To avoid this issue, we help healthcare organizations implement policies and procedures for granting patients access to their PHI. You should ensure that staff members are aware of these policies and procedures.
What is the HIPAA Right of Access Initiative? Learn more about "Why Information Blocking is Too Costly to Ignore."
#2. Preventing any "Impermissible Uses & Disclosures"
When
protected health information (PHI) is used or exposed in ways outside the HIPAA
Privacy Rule, it raises another serious issue. Some potential examples include
unauthorized access like using PHI without the appropriate consent or for
purposes other than for healthcare operations.
The solution
is for HIPAA covered entities to provide standardized training courses for
their staff members. A dedicated Learning Management System (LMS) can take your
organization a long way. Ensure your choice of LMS helps employees understand
and adhere to the guidelines for authorized access to protected health
information (PHI).
#3. Enabling appropriate "Safeguards"
Protections fail when PHI is not adequately safeguarded against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Mitigating risks with suitable physical, technical, and administrative measures to protect PHI is an essential regulation to follow.
Reevaluate
and upgrade these safeguards on a regular basis. Our compliance advisors help
healthcare businesses regularly examine risks to find potential weak spots and
implement suitable safeguards to protect PHI. Our team follows a process of
identifying, mitigating, and protecting your organization with an effective
compliance program.
#4. Implementing "Administrative Safeguards"
A subtle but
crucial issue. Determine areas where your company must implement the
administrative measures required in a HIPAA Compliance Program (particularly
around ePHI requirements). The implementation of access controls is neglected
at your own peril.
The
appropriate response is to diligently review policies and procedures to
implement effective administrative safeguards. Ensure your corrective action plans help
employees maintain cyber awareness. Efficient security measures will guard
against unauthorized ePHI access or security incident protocols.
#5. Responding to "Breaches - Requirements to Notify Individuals"
HIPAA
obligates healthcare organizations to notify the following groups when there
has been a significant PHI breach.
First, notify
the individuals whose PHI has been compromised. Second, inform the Office for
Civil Rights (OCR). Thirdly, notify the media depending on the circumstances.
Penalties and fines may apply if notification is not done.
Keep in mind,
the OCR files many reported incidents under a general "Hacking / IT Incident"
category. However, a closer examination reveals that human error is the
underlying cause. Healthcare companies should conduct a regular security risk
analysis (SRA). In addition, it is vital to understand the requirements for
reporting breaches to prevent this problem.
Providing
workforce training is the recommended long-term solution. Ensure your employees are
aware of how to handle incidents and can quickly act in the event of a security
breach." Being proactive means taking precautions that prevent violations
and documenting actions when incidents occur to secure patients' PHI and stay
compliant.
Deadline reminder: Reporting Breach Incidents is Coming Soon (March 1st). Learn more details in "Breakdown on Breaches."
HCP Recommendations and Final Thoughts
In conclusion, this article has shown you the five most common HIPAA violations and brief solutions on how a healthcare organization can take preventative steps to protect from substantial fines and penalties. You have learned a list of the top five HIPAA compliance issues to address in 2023.
Access Compliance Resources
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clients nationwide to develop and maintain an effective compliance program
tailored to your company's requirements. Our key difference: we are a software company
powered by a team of healthcare compliance professionals.
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