{"id":8443,"date":"2023-10-16T15:51:08","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T19:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evssolutions.com\/?p=8443"},"modified":"2023-10-16T15:51:32","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T19:51:32","slug":"navigating-patient-privacy-hipaa-compliance-in-the-digital-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/evssolutions.com\/insights\/navigating-patient-privacy-hipaa-compliance-in-the-digital-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Navigating Patient Privacy & HIPAA Compliance in the Digital Space"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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As more consumers expect seamless online access to healthcare providers and services, healthcare organizations are rising to the occasion. Meeting consumers in the digital space includes everything from maintaining electronic health records to delivering test results via patient portals to communicating updates through email.<\/p>

If you run a healthcare company and are connecting with customers digitally, you have a legal obligation to meet certain standards of patient privacy when operating online. Taking the time to understand the legal and functional aspects of HIPAA compliance and how they pertain to patient privacy is critical to the well-being of your company. Here are the strategies and rules you need to know to stay compliant in the digital realm.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What is HIPAA?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"\"Signed into law on August 21, 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, is a federal law that limits the use of protected health information (PHI) by healthcare organizations in the United States. PHI is defined as any information that qualifies as a personal identifier, such as billing information, insurance accounts, medical histories, mental health conditions, or laboratory results.<\/p>

HIPAA is enforced by the US Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 Office for Civil Rights, and its primary objective is to streamline medical records across healthcare organizations while protecting patient privacy. Healthcare companies must proactively comply with HIPAA to protect patient privacy.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The 3 Rules of HIPAA Compliance <\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Maintaining HIPAA compliance not only secures sensitive patient data, but it also builds patient-doctor trust and helps your company avoid large non-compliance penalties. However, navigating the rules of HIPAA compliance can be complicated. Following a strict set of technical and nontechnical networks, physical, and process safeguards is the only way healthcare companies can ensure patient data is secure and their business is HIPAA compliant. These safeguards fall under three specific rules: privacy, security, and breach notification.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"\"1. Privacy Rule<\/strong><\/p>

Also known as the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information, the HIPAA Privacy Rule is the national standard for protecting certain health information, regulating who can use this information and what they can do with it.<\/p>

2. Security Rule<\/strong><\/p>

The HIPAA Security Rule protects specific health information that is stored or transmitted electronically, called e-PHI. This rule covers three categories of information: administrative, technical, and physical. The Security Rule details the technical and nontechnical safeguards that must be met by healthcare companies to make sure the Privacy Rule is fulfilled. These are its requirements:<\/p>