December 6th, 2022
If you work in healthcare, it's likely you are using social media in some way, shape or form. Healthcare organizations and medical practices utilize social media to engage with patients and consumers. Physicians and nurses research medical information through the internet and social media platforms. Hospitals use social media to supply patient information, announce news and events, further public relations and promote health.
November 7th, 2022
What is a HIPAA violation in the workplace?
A HIPAA violation occurs when a covered entity or business associate compromises an individual’s personal health information (PHI). This could be from a lack of awareness, training, or appropriate safeguards of PHI. Whether large or small, willful or negligent, HIPAA violations can be damaging to any hospital or medical practice and the patient or patients affected.
September 16th, 2022
Workplace violence in healthcare is a serious issue that has become increasingly worse over the past decade. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that injuries from violent attacks against medical professionals grew by 63% from 2011 to 2018.
August 25th, 2022
Patients are incredibly concerned about healthcare data privacy, and rightly so. Healthcare data breaches have hit record numbers, and according to the U.S. government, in the last five months of 2022, breaches have almost doubled from the same period previous year. With nearly 20 million victims of data theft in the first half of the year, it is no wonder patients are worried about the lack of privacy.
August 8th, 2022
Whether you are a small practice or a large hospital system, compliance affects every type of healthcare organization. So, what is healthcare compliance, and why is it so important?
Healthcare compliance is defined as the process of ensuring all legal, ethical and professional requirements are met and communicated throughout an entire organization. It is an ongoing and continuous process that must be routinely reviewed to ensure adherence.
July 19th, 2022
Although telemedicine has been around for decades, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that accelerated its rapid adoption. The demand for telehealth services surged at the beginning of the crisis as hospitals and healthcare providers rushed to implement technology solutions that could enable them to continue providing care for their at-risk patients remotely. Changes in reimbursement and healthcare regulation followed suit, and quickly this new healthcare delivery model became the new norm.
July 5th, 2022
Texting is a convenient and reliable way for healthcare organizations and providers to communicate with their patients. It is ideal for keeping up with appointments, reminders, payments, and other practice communications. While most people, including patients, prefer texting because it’s quick and easy, providers and their staff must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
June 17th, 2022
Each year, the National Safety Council (NSC) designates June as National Safety Month to help bring awareness to the importance of ensuring safety in the workplace. This year, MedSafe is highlighting fall prevention and tips for reducing falls in the workplace.
Slips, trips and falls are among the leading causes of workplace injuries and death. In 2020, 805 workers died in falls, and 211,640 were injured badly enough to require days off of work.
May 24th, 2022
Most healthcare professionals are told that HIPAA is important and that there are severe consequences for noncompliance. However, there are often few discussions about why it is so important.
May 4th, 2022
Healthcare data breaches have been occurring at record levels, but not all privacy and security threats come from outside the organization. The Department of Health and Human Services' Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HCC) recently issued a warning about insider threats.
What is an insider threat?
April 14th, 2022
Recently, the Director of the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights, Lisa J. Pino, issued a statement encouraging HIPAA covered entities and business associates to strengthen their cybersecurity posture this year in light of the increasing rates of cyberattacks across the healthcare industry.
The last year was particularly damaging for healthcare organizations due to hackers taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 15th, 2022
What is a HIPAA Consent Form?
A signed HIPAA consent form must be obtained from a patient before their protected health information (PHI) can be shared with any other individuals or organizations, except in the case of routine disclosures for treatment, payment or healthcare operations as permitted by the HIPAA Privacy Rule. The disclosure of medical records without a HIPAA authorization form is a HIPAA violation.
February 17th, 2022
This is a reminder that the HIPAA Breach reporting deadline is less than two weeks away, which means HIPAA breaches involving fewer than 500 individuals which occurred during 2021 must be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) no later than Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule places a strict time limit on the issuing of notifications and reporting of data breaches of individuals whose protected health information has been exposed. For breaches of PHI, notification letters to individuals affected must be sent within 60 days from the date of discovery and without reasonable delay.
February 8th, 2022
Most healthcare providers make every effort to ensure that HIPAA rules are followed, but sometimes accidents occur. What happens when there is an accidental HIPAA violation? How should an employee report an accidental HIPAA violation?
February 1st, 2022
As per the Occupational Safety and health Administration, “Many employers with more than 10 employees are required to keep a record of serious work-related injuries and illnesses. (Certain low-risk industries are exempted.) Minor injuries requiring first aid only do not need to be recorded.
How does OSHA define a recordable injury or illness?
February 1st, 2022
The HIPAA Breach reporting deadline is less than a month away. Which means any breaches involving 500 individuals or less must be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) no later than Monday, March 1, 2022.
What is a Data Breach?
January 6th, 2022
As we turn the page on 2021 and embark on 2022, many are hopeful that this year we will finally return to normalcy. But as Omicron surges across the nation at record breaking-rates, Americans have become tired and weary of what has seemed like a never-ending pandemic.
Government officials, hospitals, physicians, healthcare workers and employers have pleaded with Americans to protect themselves and others through vaccinations, boosters, social distancing and masking. But with all of the vaccination and mask mandates sparking controversy, there has been a degree of confusion regarding privacy rights and HIPAA when it comes to vaccination status.
July 6th, 2021
On June 10, 2021, OSHA (the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration) released the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). This establishes new mandatory requirements, applicable to the healthcare industry.
March 12th, 2021
National Patient Safety Week is March 14-20. This week is dedicated to growing awareness about patient safety, learning more about healthcare safety, and recognizing the work already being achieved.
February 11th, 2021
The HIPAA Breach reporting deadline is less than a month away. Which means any breaches involving 500 individuals or less must be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) no later than Monday, March 1, 2021.