...Student Name Law and Ethics in Medicine, HIT 105 Research Project 40903800 Put in place by the federal government to protect private health care records to patients, HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) began in 1996. Companies that need to implement HIPAA rules and regulations include healthcare providers, health plan organizations, and health care clearinghouses. Although the rules are stringent some exceptions exist to ensure the healthcare industry can both abide by the law and give patients (and/or family members if authorized by the patient) access to their healthcare records. Health care organization employees need to be trained in HIPAA policy and procedures and must strictly adhere to the regulations. The patient gains access to his or her records by written consent. A release of information form is used to protect both the patient and the releasing party. Medical records data is computerized leaving some to fear their privacy is at risk. For this reason some patients do not divulge all of their health conditions. “According to a recent poll, one in six adults (17%) — representing about 38 million persons — say they withhold information from their health providers due to worries about how the medical data might be disclosed” (“Privacy and Health Information Technology,” 2009, p.124). These patients may not receive the best health care because their physicians may be unaware of conditions that affect treatment. There are 13 circumstances...
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...HIPPA PII Protection IFSM 201 Due 04 Oct 2015 Everyone has heard about HIPPA, which is the common acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This federal regulation has three priorities that focus on are protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) of patient electronic protected health information (EPHI), guarding against reasonable possible expectable threats to the security or integrity of said EPHI, and protecting EPHI against unauthorized disclosure (National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2008) . The protection of the CIA of EPHI is important because our patients rely on this information’s accuracy and availability in emergency situations for use by medical professionals, while the confidentiality is important to ensure this personal information does not fall into the wrong hands and to ensure the patient’s civil rights are not violated. There have been many recent high level HIPPA violations recently. Some of the most damaging breaches that released the most protected personal information (PII) occurred at the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2013 one of the largest known EPHI/PII breaches at the VA was discovered through the conduct of a thorough investigation and reported by Steven Marco of HIPAAOne.com that “found there were an astounding 14,215 violations that affected 101,018 veterans and 551 VA employees at 167 facilities since 2010. These violations included using patient information...
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...most common issue that I found in my research is the issue of confidentiality and privacy of the patients. Even more today than there has been before keeping patients records private has become more and more difficult. There are different levels of information that can be affected. According to nursingworld.org the administrator protects information that is private, secret or privileged. This means that not all information is medical information about the patient but also information about the payroll or other contact information about the patient and the staff. This also would include information the patient does want their doctor to know about them which would be more privileged information and things they do not want their doctors to share with others. One of the main issues with keeping such information confidential according to the article Administrative Ethics and Confidentiality/Privacy Issues on nursingworld.org is that most often younger people are working in offices that do not respect or have accurate knowledge of the privacy laws such as HIPPA. Hippa is a government list of regulation and rules to abide by in any medical practice put into place to protect the patients. According to hippa-101.com any office using electronic software must have the appropriate blocks to operate for example a password to get in and out of files, also virus protection and firewalls to prevent the system from being hacked into. There are new hippa laws added each year as technology grows...
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...manufacturer, including importers, of the product and the country of manufacture. * if the product is manufactured outside the United States, the identity of the foreign manufacturer or United States importer must include the city and country of its headquarters. * number of product units covered by recall, including numbers manufactured, imported and distributed. * complete instructions for how to participate in the recall described in a manner that will motivate the consumer to take advantage of the remedy. A written or video report should be made confirming or denying the manufacturers position on their product. The report may also provide additional information, about the product. Such information should include research conducted and test done on product reliability before marketing. The coordinator should also work with the manufacturer to develop a complete plan for recall that reaches any consumer who may have the product. The communications coordinator must design communication that reaches affected consumers,...
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...ommunication Theory Communication Theory Paper Communication Theory Paper The team I am with now within my workforce does not specifically deal one on one with patients, so I am going to go back to when I worked in a Physician’s office where I was handling patient information on a daily basis. As a medical biller at that time, we were trained regarding what HIPPA regulations were all about and how to stay within those regulations and not accidently or on purpose expose any personal information regarding our patients. We had volunteers, as well as interns that would come and go. And they as well had to be trained to follow the HIPPA laws, some were not aware of what HIPPA even stood for so it was imperative that they be trained immediately so that no personal information was released to unauthorized entities. There was strict communication within our facility as far as when and where we could discuss any patient information while the office was open, we were instructed to talk in hushed tones and behind closed doors. Even after hours we were instructed not to shout across the hall any personnel information on any patient, the physicians frowned upon that highly. “The dramatic changes in health care delivery and administration over the past several decades have resulted in increased consumer concerns about privacy (Applebaum, 2002; Gostin, 2001).” There is a huge impact when it comes to dealing with different ethnic groups among the co-workers, patients, caregivers...
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...involved in the patient's care to view. According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, “an electronic record of health-related information on an individual that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health organization” (Agency for Health Care Research, 2013). There are challenges that include the possibility of security breaches and continued advancement of technology in the health care system itself. The solutions for these challenges include accountability for our own actions which include logging off of your computer before leaving your work station, never sharing your passwords, and never allowing a patient’s medical record to be in plain view for people that are not involved in the patient’s care, and keeping an open mind regarding staying current with technology. The standards in place for maintaining security is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996(HIPPA), and also being accountable for signing confidentiality disclosures which if breached you would face punishment. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “A major goal of the HIPPA Privacy Rule is to assure that the individuals’ health...
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...The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, better known as HITECH, is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. ARRA contains incentives related to health care information technology in general and The HIPAA Privacy Rule gives you rights over your own health information, regardless of its form. Whether your record is in paper or electronic form, you have the right to your records. HIPPA contains specific incentives designed to accelerate the adoption of HER systems among providers. The HIPPA act contains 5 different sections. Tite 1, the health insurance reform. Title I protect health insurance coverage for individuals who lose or change jobs. Title 2 is known as...
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...Article Review: HIPAA breaches: minimizing risks and patient fears Student Name HCS/335 March 13, 2013 Instructor Name Article Review: HIPAA breaches: minimizing risks and patient fears The article, “HIPPA breaches: minimizing risks and patient fears”, by Gabby Loria who is a Market Research Associate for Software Advice, is an industry view case study of concerns that patients have in relation to potential security risks related to health care. Patient privacy and medical document security are the main topics of this article. The article discusses the importance of provider confidentiality, proper handling of health information along with proposed solutions for potential security issues. There is a focus on the patients perception of what is considered to be protected. Loria points out that forty-five percent of patients are apprehensive about security gaps involved with their private health information (Loria, G., 2015). Protected Health Information: Patient Privacy Concern The potential breach in HIPPA, Health Insurance Portability and Privacy Act of 1996, brings up several patient privacy concerns. One consideration is the method that the patient’s health data is distributed and utilized. Electronic health records are at risk of security breaches from hackers without adequate safety measure in place. According to Loria, (2015), “In January, health insurance provider Anthem discovered that hackers had broken into a database containing...
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...Effective Communication Rebecca Moreland HCS/325 December 17 2012 UOP Effective Communication I currently do not work but, I did previously work for an individual insurance sales agent for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. I understand that in the healthcare environment, communication is the utmost importance and confidential. There is only certain ways to handle certain cases. There are some things that you are not allowed to discuss in writing and vice versa in verbal communication due to patient confidentiality and HIPPA laws. Communication is always something that you will have to endure. It will always be apart of your lifestyle, both social and professional. I think that there is basics to communication and making sure you have the basics down are the beginning. There are a lot of patients that have different needs and have different beliefs that can hinder communication with a healthcare professional. A person can have a religious belief or a social belief that can hinder their communication to good care. As a healthcare professional, you will see many different types of people and should be able to communicate with them effectively. One, always be concrete about what needs to be communicated. This is by speaking to a person in a way that is to the point and gives clear meaning to the topic. Two, always be respectful about anything is being said. A person needs to know that they are respected to be able to give and receive communication. More advanced...
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...change the dates in the box to match the dates of your events. Include the following in your timeline: Medicare and Medicaid HIPPA of 1996 State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Prospective Payment System (PPS) 1935 | Medicare was signed in 1935; however it did not pass into law until 1965. (ssa.gov, 2012). Medicare was first used for retirement payments only. In later years disability was added to the program.Medicaid was adopted around the same time as Medicare. It was initially meant for the elderly for hospital coverage. In 1965 they added other programs for the Medicaid such as low income families to help receive health coverage. | 1982 | Prospective Payment System (PPS) was created to help control the cost/payments. Medicare would send payments to the hospitals. With the PPS admissions and doctor’s visits were put into categories. (Phillips, 2001). | 1985 | Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), was introduced in order for employers who had insurance coverage to have the option to continue the coverage if they had a job loss. (Paschall, 2010). | 1996 | HIPPA of 1996 was passed in 1996. The reason for HIPPA is to protect people about their health information. Under the HIPPA law no one is permitted to give out information about a person’s health for any reason without the patient’s permission. The HIPPA law has been really enforced since most data is transmitted through electronic devices. (Anderson & Reiber, 2010) | 1997 |...
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...Communications Coordinator Alitha King HCS/320 June 25, 2012 Kristina Gray Communications Coordinator In this paper I will be discussing the advantages and disadvantages for the drug Yaz. Yaz is a birth control pill that women take to improve their menstrual cycle, and to prevent pregnancy. Yaz has many mild side effects like cramping to nausea; this drug is known for very serve side effects that include migraine headaches, uncontrollable uterine bleeding, kidney disorders, stroke, and possibly death (Drugwatch, 2013). Yaz is also known to put women at a higher risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), blood clots, liver function, disturbances, liver tumors, anaphylactic reactions, changes in glucose levels that can lead to diabetes and worsen lupus (Drugwatch, 2013). The advantage for using social media is that it will spread all over the social networks like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Path. Females that have any of those social network accounts will be the main ones to help put the word out about Yaz encouraging other women to avoid taking this type of birth control. For example, promoting that Yaz has a recall on their drugs will help prevent women lives and their health. Yaz company does not care rather it is taking women lives and making their health at high risk, Yaz company only cares about rather their product is going to sell or how much money they going to make. Disadvantages for putting it on social media, the person who owns the social network...
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...Health Care Process Craig Brownlee University of Phoenix Health Care Communication Strategies HCS/320 Marina Voroni January 09, 2015 Health Care Process Good Afternoon assembled newsman, media outlets and spokesmen. I would like to start off this news conference with a brief introduction. I am Michael Brownlee, the Communication Director for the Umbrella Corporation. We have called this news conference for the negative news reports concerning the release of Norvopaste. The recent reports concerning the side effects, and the complaints made on certain social media pages have left the company in a negative light. Initially we felt that most of these statements were not based on facts and chose not to justify these. With the increased disruption in our facilities and meeting with our board of directors a new offensive has been organized and implemented. WE will be discussing the points and action plan. With a new advertisement program launched today, we be addressing the persistent questions over the supposed side effects. Through an in-depth survey a suitable spokesman will be identified that the public can make a connection with. Once we have that spokesperson, I believe that we can use this to relieve any fears or questions. We will be putting all issues out into the general public and running a traditional media campaign along the lines. While in the vein of opening all operations, I would suggest that we use a public figure that has a strong trust bond with the...
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...Diedra Sawyer Health Care Communication Method A recent development concerning this facility is the reason for this facility to locate safe clean housing for a number of individuals who are facing displacement because of recent purchase of the facility by a national corporation. As administrator, one must adhere to state and federal regulations but must seek quality housing for these few individuals. The purchaser will implement new policies that will displace some of the residents. Some individuals do not have relatives in close proximity and do not possess the ability to communicate in regards to releasing medical records; as administrator one must locate placement for the individuals and must also devise a plan that adheres to HIPPA regulations while insuring the patient’s right to privacy. Moving forward one will try to establish communication with relatives and apprise the family of the situation. Contacting Relatives Responsibility for developing an applicable plan for relocation of the individuals who face displacement will consist of locating relatives who reside some distance from the present facility, which makes it difficult for a trip here. One will send emails to contact relatives in order to establish communication and to devise a plan that accommodates the patient and family. Step two consist of acquiring knowledge to see if these relatives possess power-of-attorney, if so one will fax medical release forms for signatures. If there is not...
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...a requirement within hospitals when it comes to providing the professionals of healthcare the education that is needed about designing and reevaluate hospital policies, biomedical ethics and clinical ethics for sessions. Throughout the years, there has been a steady increase to roles Institutional Ethics Committees play in ethics. HIPPA also have a committee which is baptized as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Compliance Committee. Their task is to confirm how healthcare organizations are reacting to the encounters of HIPPA compliance throughout time. When it comes to the method of the healthcare policies, Medical Management Committees can persuade political parties outside from their healthcare organizations. Because the Democratic Party tends to be on the liberal side, Medical Management Committees can get in touch with the Democrats who are usually for reasonable and valuable healthcare. There are many individuals who support this and would like to see growth of government backing in those areas. Back in 2004, there was a debate between Bush and Kerry. Kerry wanted to engage in a federally funded stem-cell research program under severe ethical regulations but at the same time did not want to turn his back from an opportunity to not only save live but to also decrease human agony. With that being said, if feelings are mutual, Medical Committees within Healthcare organizations should have jumped at the...
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...Nursing Home Administrator HCS/320 Nursing Home Administrator Excellent communication within a health care faculty is essential! It is the communication exchange among staff members which determines the quality of care given to the patient’s. As a nursing home administrator my duties are to ensure the HIPPA rules and regulations are being upheld by members of the health care. By ensuring that HIPPA rules and regulations are upheld the health care faculty is ultimately providing the patient’s with quality care. Change within a nursing home can bring about much unwanted conflict and confusion among all parties involved. Following the chain of command can be a tedious task, there are many T’s that need to cross and I’s that need to dotted to ensure that the communications process is running smoothly and effectively, which in-turn reduces the risk of a communication breakdown. Developing a communication breakdown can much turmoil within a health care faulty ultimately jeopardizing all parties involved in the communication cycle. As the nursing home administrator my first line of duty is to get a clear understanding of the new policies and procedures being put in place and exactly how they will affect the patience’s in the nursing home. To accomplish this task I must address the new broad members with my concerns. Some of the methods I can use to address these concerns are through a traditional meeting, electronic communication, and...
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