It’s your Call January 2021

OSHA: What is the current recommendation for Hepatitis C, baseline testing for the source patient?

The CDC’s updated guidance provides two options. Option A would be the preferred method of testing the source patient for HCV RNA to determine if there is a current infection. Option B would be testing the source patient for hepatitis C antibody (anti-HCV). If the result is positive, then test for HCV RNA.

TMC will offer a webinar this month with more details, and the CDC’s guidance can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/HCPersonnelGuidance.htm.

HIPAA: Should our office use 128- or 256-bit encryption to send emails securely?

Both are acceptable levels of encryption. However, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recommends AES 256-bit encryption because it delivers a higher level of protection when transmitting sensitive data electronically such as credit card payments and protected health information (PHI) sent via fax or email.

Table:  https://www.clickssl.net/blog/128-bit-ssl-encryption-vs-256-bit-ssl-encryption