It’s Your Call October 2021

OSHA:  

Recall the four most common ways to spread germs and decide how you should protect yourself.

• Contact: Think of contaminated surfaces that are touched and how the germs are spread when hand hygiene is not performed.
• Sprays & splashes: Imagine a person sneezing. Now think of where the droplets/germs land. Not only do you need to protect your mucous membranes, but the surface must be cleaned and disinfected.
• Inhalation: Specific germs like TB, Covid-19, and measles can aerosolize when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes in the air. It can also travel on currents of dust or just remain in the air for hours after the infected person is no longer in the room. Specific respiratory equipment such as a respirator may be required for protection.
• Sharps injuries: The sharp device can break the skin which creates a highway for germs to enter a susceptible host. Are you using safety devices or appropriate work practice controls to reduce the risk of this injury?

Take the necessary precautions and be sure to wear adequate PPE to reduce the chances of disease transmission.

HIPAA:

True or False?

Q: If a practice has a website, a current copy of its HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices must be available there.

A: True.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires covered entities to post the current version of their NPP at a prominent location on their website.

The OCR clarified “prominent location” by providing two examples:

1. Through a drop-down menu on the home page.
2. A link on the top or bottom of the home page labeled “Notice of Privacy Practices.”

A patient should not need to click more than twice from a practice’s home page to find the NPP.