Protected Health Information is subject to an individual’s rights on how such information is used or disclosed. Covered entities must follow the laws that grant every individual the right to the privacy and confidentiality of their health information. Privacy Standards: The HIPAA Privacy Rule sets standards for protecting the rights of individuals (patients).For more details on this, see: What exactly is ePHI? Who has to worry about it? Where can it be safely located? For example, all administrative, financial, and clinical information on a patient is considered PHI. Protected Health Information (PHI), as defined in HIPAA language, is health information of an identifiable individual that is transmitted by electronic media maintained in any electronic medium or transmitted or maintained in any other form or medium. HIPAA email security applies specifically to protected health information, not just personal information.
Additionally, HITECH and Omnibus extend the requirements of HIPAA to any business associate of a covered entity and to all business associates of business associates (all the way down the line) who may come into contact with Protected Health Information originating from a covered entity. In essence, most providers are covered entities if they employ an electronic-based office – meaning they function by storing and exchanging data via computers through intranets, Internet, dial up modems, DSL lines, T-1, etc.
healthcare providers, clearinghouses and health plan payers that meet certain conditions. HIPAA laws apply to a covered entity i.e. Industry professionals – financial, administrative and clinical – are no strangers to the regulatory compliance culture. Mandating compliance with its Privacy and Security Rules, the federal government is committed to enforcing patients’ rights. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) implemented new rules for the healthcare world. It will also lay out how LuxSci enables providers to meet these requirements though HIPAA-compliant email outsourcing. This white paper will address the specific issues that a healthcare provider must address in order to be in compliance with HIPAA, HITECH, and Omnibus. So, if a healthcare organization employs email as a means of communicating medical and/or mental health data to appropriate parties, they must also ensure that information is well safeguarded. Today, merely taking an oath to respect one’s privacy has been overshadowed by regulations that govern how certain healthcare establishments must handle an individual’s health information.
In healthcare, the confidentiality of a patient’s information has been sacred since the days of the Hippocratic Oath (Hippocrates – the Father of Medicine, 400 B.C.). Using the web, undoubtedly, poses concerns about the privacy and security of an individual’s information. Medicare and some other insurance payers also recognize and pay for “online consultations” where the health provider and patient interact over the web (telemedicine). Patients are becoming more and more comfortable with emailing their physician’s office to schedule an appointment, discuss laboratory results, or request refills on medication. Collaborative efforts amongst healthcare providers have improved the delivery of quality care to patients in addition to the recognized increase in administrative efficiency through effective use of email and other types of electronic communication.
0 kommentar(er)
