No one can deny that technology has been a boon to the healthcare sector enabling better care for patients and convenience for providers. Smart devices of all types connect with medical record and billing systems and various applications through cloud computing. Unfortunately, all this interconnectedness has created opportunities for hacking and other illegal activity. […]
The Phase II Audits from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) are right around the corner! The program, announced by Health & Human Services (HHS) in 2016, was created to take a “snapshot” of HIPAA compliance in the healthcare industry. HHS wants to know how well the guidelines are understood by covered entities and where […]
In May, Great Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) was hit by a large-scale cyber-attack. Some hospitals and practices across England and Scotland were unable to access patient data, after their computers were locked by a ransomware attack demanding payment in virtual currency, Bitcoin. However, there was no evidence that patient data had been compromised. The […]
When you have a breach of Protected Health Information (PHI) the practice will have to notify the affected patients, Health and Human Services (HHS) and potentially other parties. The timing is critical. This month we will review notification requirements. Patient Notification You must provide notice to each affected patient in written form by first-class mail, […]
The very sad truth is the world is full of criminals and you have something they want: information and materials. You may have all technical safeguards in place to protect yourself from computer hackers and break-ins; however, what are you doing about the stream of people who walk in your office for business purposes? One […]
OSHA: Coo Coo for Compliance Do you remember Sonny the Cuckoo Bird? He did everything possible to hide from Cocoa Puffs, yet somehow things, people, or words would trigger him to go insane for General Mills’ cereal. What triggers for your office to go Coo Coo for Compliance? The start of a New Year triggers […]
OSHA: Laundry time You finished a procedure and your scrubs are contaminated. What else is considered contaminated laundry? How does your facility handle it? The Bloodborne Pathogen Standard 1910.1030(b) says that laundry which has been soiled with blood or other potentially infectious material or may contain sharps is considered contaminated. There is a possibility of […]
OSHA: Labels, Red Bags & Warnings Have you ever wondered if you were labeling appropriately? It can be confusing but here are some pointers from OSHA. On one of OSHA’s fact sheets says labels and signs are used to communicate hazards. Warning labels must be affixed to containers of regulated waste; containers of contaminated reusable […]
The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is tasked with monitoring and enforcing the HIPAA regulations. While they have always conducted investigations and inspections as a result of breach incidents they plan to also pursue random audits. To start this process they initiated 115 random audits of Covered Entities in 2011 and 2012 to test […]
In the early hours of June 12, 2016 news broke of a horrific attack, and mass killing of patrons inside an Orlando night club. All told, there were a total of 49 people who were killed, and another 56 who were injured, but would survive. The victims were taken to two separate hospitals in the […]
