The Importance Of HIPAA Training For Healthcare Workers

Posted by: KHTS Articles in News Articles August 27, 2020 - 12:51 pm 0 343 Views

Healthcare workers are not only responsible for treating people, but they should keep them safe as well. Any patient’s information should be protected at all costs. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act set some rules, and violating them will result in serious career repercussions. The consequences may be too severe that the worker can go bankrupt or lose their job. So, healthcare workers must undergo a HIPAA training to minimize losses. The importance of the program goes beyond just knowing the regulations.

Read on to learn more about it.

Teaches the Concept of Protected Health Information

Some people who work in the medical field are not aware of the exact definition of Protected Health Information. It is so simple to enforce rules when you understand them well. The data that you’re not allowed to share is anything related to your patient’s past or present medical history. No matter how close someone is to you, you still should keep all the details about your patients a secret. You cannot discuss the cases with your friends and family either because that is considered breaking the rules as well.

Protects Your Career

A person that discloses sensitive information faces considerable consequences that may ruin their career. They also become shunned by their peers in the medical community. Moreover, a penalty must be paid depending on their level of awareness of the rules.

Hospital owners may prefer to provide training for their employees to decrease their liability if any violation takes place. The violator will be the only one held responsible. HIPAA providers at https://www.hipaaexams.com recommend applying for accredited and certified courses to guarantee that no legal repercussions would fall on you. If you provided the worker with proper education and they willingly neglected the rules, they will pay a considerable amount of money.

Saves the Patient

You may think that the only place to save someone’s life is in the operating room. However, you can rescue people in many ways. For instance, sometimes a family member will agree to a procedure that the patient doesn’t want. They may also disagree on a treatment plan that is beneficial for the ill person. The decision must be taken by the patient alone unless they decide to involve someone else. The training will make you understand that the information you have can either save or kill a patient.

Types of Violations

You should familiarize yourself with the different types of violations so you can reevaluate your actions. First of all, you shouldn’t say or text any medical records to anyone not working on the case. A simple mistake is calling the patients in the waiting room with their first and second names. You should use only one title in front of other people. Discussions about your patient’s health should be held in a private room where no one can hear you.

Some acts of negligence should also be stopped. For instance, you shouldn’t leave your personal computer unattended. If you are snooping around because other cases interest you, that is also considered a violation. Moreover, checking your friends’ medical records out of care is unethical. If you think that the patient’s loved ones are persistent and they want to know undisclosed information, you should notify your boss. Sometimes people don’t go to doctors in fear of being exposed. Doctor-patient confidentiality is what pushes them forward and makes them seek help.

Decreases Paranoia

The darker side of HIPAA is the paranoia that is growing around the healthcare workers. Once they hear that transferring data is illegal, they keep all information hidden without giving it much thought. However, any colleague that can be of help must be notified about the case. You should be working in the patient’s favor without breaking the rules. That’s why a course is essential to protect you, the patient, and your mental health.

How to Deal in Security Breaches Cases?

Cybercrimes are all around us, nowadays. Hackers and breachers are jumping at any opportunity to manipulate and blackmail people. A hospital’s internet security is not out of reach, no matter how strong it is. So, if some information gets out due to a security breach, the blame won’t fall on the patient nor the doctor.

Healthcare workers are always working hard towards reaching a higher goal and saving patients. HIPAA training would be a great addition to these people’s knowledge. They will be protected and their patients will be safe as well. All hospital personnel should take the course and learn the importance of keeping all records a secret unless they need to disclose with someone that can be of help.