What Is a HIPAA?

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of the United States designed a website that would help the public understand more about Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or better known as HIPAA. The HHS website provides a variety of training materials about the purpose and essence of the Act. Also stressed in the site material is the background of the Act. For a better understanding of HIPAA, read on.

Historical Background

Modern technology has a big potential to interfere with the confidentiality of patient's health information. That is why: HIPAA was enacted as a Public Law 104-191 in 1996 with objective to provide security against the misuse of patient's information that is held confidential. HIPAA requires HHS to implement U.S. National standards for health care transactions done via the internet. This particular law also points out that certain people giving health care services should undergo and complete a HIPAA Training Course. Also included in the training are the HIPAA organizational policies, protection of information as well as security awareness. Among the people who need to take a HIPAA course are nurses, doctors, pharmacists, researchers and those others who are working in the hospitals.

Significance of the Act

The Office of Civil Rights is the one who provides all the needed materials for the learning more about the Act. It is also the Civil Rights Office who supplies a complete outline of the principles as well as the full summary of the provisions of the Privacy Rule. The information about the administrative requirements needed in the workforce is also provided by the office. The office, however, does not provide a step by step training for the government. The good thing is that updates are being done as often as needed so the public could know of the HIPAA modifications made in the most recent time.

Education about the Act

Business owners may also offer some educational HIPAA information. The focus, though, of educational HIPAA data is how employers should handle the privacy of the health information of their employees. The policies of HIPAA are likewise outlined in the info that is shared, most often. Moreover, the material also includes proper ways and procedures to handle confidential information to be able to realize the protection required by the law.

Computer Training

One other effective media used to share information and to make HIPAA training available to the public is via computer training. If, for instance, a private entity needs to save and exchange private medical information through the computer system, certain requirements need to be fulfilled as mandated by HIPAA. Say, for example, keeping the computer system locked and password enabled or perhaps keeping the computer files accessible to only a few people. With this particular measure, employers may give computer training to staff members who have direct access to the computer system.

Every patient's information should be properly and closely protected. In order to know more about HIPAA and in order not to violate any of the rules stated in the private law, a thorough understanding about HIPAA law is needed