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Does your staff have sufficient HIPAA training?
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Determining the amount of adequate training is not an easy question because the answer is highly dependent on the individual and the organization. Individuals often claim that vendor training provides only the problems, but not the solutions. That is a missed opportunity because if you know the problem and don't have an adequate answer, you're likely to be faced with difficulty responding and potentially encounter an Incident, Breach, or unauthorized disclosure of Protected Health Information ("PHI"). In this article, we describe aspects of what may be considered "good training" and what kind of training we make available so that you can compare across vendors.
You need answers! In our view, if you do not succeed in establishing compliance literacy in your workforce, you are likely going to have an occasional bad day, not to mention being out of compliance with the HIPAA regulations for training and associated documentation. As expressly stated in HHS' Audit Protocol, policies and procedures that have been adopted and activated by covered entities and business associates to meet selected standards are reviewed to determine an organization's implementation specifications of the Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. Training, by the way, is one of the Privacy Rule Regulations.
If you are audited, one of the things that will be reviewed is your training documentation. Yes, seems this is a small item compared to your Risk Assessment and other Compliance efforts. However, Covered Entities ("CE") and Business Associates ("BA") must train all members of their workforce regarding PHI as it applies and as necessary to perform their jobs. Compliance with Privacy Rule regulation 164.530(b) requires policies and procedures for training and to document which staff member was trained on what topic and when.
From a practical standpoint, when it comes to training, it's not enough to have an understanding of the regulations, but also training should provide the ability to evaluate responses to a variety of situations where PHI may be at risk. Training that provides hypothetical risk situations related to HIPAA regulations that prevent incidents or breaches and/or a Quiz regarding knowledge obtained is a component of quality education.
But is HIPAA a top priority for a CEO's average day? Probably not, unless there is an Incident or a Breach. The same is likely true for other executives in your organization. Aside from the regulation requirement, this is a VERY good reason why a named Compliance Officer should be in each Covered Entity and Business Associate's organization. A Compliance Officer has the responsibility to ensure that policies and procedures are being followed by the workforce to avoid non-compliance. And yes, the Compliance Officer ensures policies for training and the visible, demonstrable evidence for same.
So, how much training is really needed? For the purpose of this article, we will use the HIPAA Training Products contained within our Subscription Plan as training recommendation topics for different categories of workforce members. Again, remember our principal premise is that all workforce members need to become HIPAA literate since you have the 800-pound gorilla of Breach Notification staring you in the face.
Training for Clinicians
Not all staff members need to attend or be educated for every HIPAA training module. We recommend three (3) training sessions for clinicians as listed below:
- Security Rule Training for Clinicians
- Privacy Rule Training for Clinicians (coming soon!)
- Breach Notification Training for Clinicians (coming soon!)
Why do we recommend specific training for clinicians? Well, I can say as a Registered Nurse, clinicians do not need to understand every aspect of the regulations. What they need to know is how to respond to various threats to PHI or situations where compliance action is required. They need an awareness and a basic understanding of Security, Privacy, and Breach Notification regulations that will enable prevention of risks while managing situations when HIPAA rules are tested.
A particular item of importance is knowing WHO to call when a situation arises. The same is true for Business Associates. You might be surprised at the number of times I have randomly asked clinicians the name of their HIPAA Compliance Officer and they did not know. That's a recipe for a bad day! Try this yourself next time you visit your doctor. Ask the receptionist or the nurse, or any other clinician or workforce member you encounter if they know the name of their Compliance Officer. By the way, this is generally true of organizations both large and small, even those that regularly train their employees.
Foundational Training for Other Staff
The following list of training modules is recommended for other workforce members, including the executive management team.
- Privacy Rule Training
- Security Rule Training
- Breach Notification Training
- Social Media Training
- Mobile Devices Training
I have been asked if there is a HIPAA LITE for Business Associates, and the answer is No! Business Associates need to be as aware of the regulations as Covered Entities if they are "touching PHI." That said, we also provide specialized training for Business Associates in situations where their needs differ from Covered Entities (see below).
Specific Training for Compliance Officers
In addition to the training above, compliance officers should consider taking the following training classes to obtain their certification. We offer a HIPAA Certified Professional ("HCP") certification after taking an exam that covers material from the training modules listed below.
| Certification Training Modules | |
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3. Audit
7. Documentation*
8. HITECH Act
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9. Omnibus Rule
10. Privacy Rule
11. Security Rule
12. Risk Assessment
13. Risk Management
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We also recommend that Compliance Officers take advantage of our pre-recorded four-part training series entitled: "Surviving a HIPAA Audit." Subscribers may log in to the Compliance Hub Member website to:
- Download the HIPAA Handbook: A Definitive Guide of Articles that contains over 400 pages of articles with an index of topics, and
- Saved Webinar Recordings.
For some, the amount of information may be overwhelming, but just like HIPAA, you bite off a piece of the elephant one at a time.
Specialty Workforce Training
Finally, we recommend that staff who are responsible for items in the list below, and Compliance Officers and/or Executive Officers become knowledgeable on the following topics:
- Training for workforce members that are designated as "point persons" for the Patient's Bill of Rights; these are sections 164.520 through 164.528 of the Privacy Rule.
- The regulations require that individuals "sign off" on certain processes pertaining to providing access to a patient's PHI;
- Helping a patient amend their PHI;
- Distributing the notice of privacy practices, etc.
- Training for individuals that handle Privacy Rule requests for authorizations, restrictions, etc.
- Training for personnel assigned the responsibility of tracking security incidents.
- Training for information technology personnel that are required to audit information systems containing PHI.
- Training for personnel that are assigned the responsibility for disposing of PHI.
This is not an exhaustive list. The "final" list of training will depend on your operational environment, the size and complexity of your organization, and the resources you have available, etc. One thing is certain, look for training that provides answers, not just a description of the problems.
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HOW TO COMPLY WITH HIPAA
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At 3Lions Publishing, Inc. our mission is to provide clients with:
- Premium Compliance Products,
- Education,
- Free Monthly Webinars,
- Newsletter Articles on HIPAA and regulatory topics, as well as
-
"High Touch" LIVE assistance with Products for Risk Assessment and Remediation.
We do NOT charge extra for compliance support like many of our competitors, the cost for your LIVE assistance is included in your Subscription purchase.
A full 360-degree circle of Risk Assessment and Remediation products are provided in 3Lions Publishing Inc.'s
The Subscription Plan includes Expresso®, the Risk Assessment "SaaS" based software, over 30+ compliance and remediation products, and training videos that help Covered Entities and Business Associates understand how to implement the necessary Controls to be in compliance with HIPAA regulations. Our LIVE "High Touch" Assistance helps you "get it done" fast!
Our many Training products describe various aspects of the regulations as well as demonstrations of how to use Expresso and associated compliance tools. As part of the Subscription Plan, we also provide certification for clients seeking designation as a HIPAA Certified Professional ("HCP").
A "Crosswalk" between Expresso Risks and Remediation tools provides easy access to model policies, procedures and tracking mechanisms for compliance.
FREE Monthly newsletters and webinars provide education on topics of regulatory concern. Missed one? Webinars and articles are posted to the HIPAA Survival Guide Store Website for future reference.
So, why are we sharing this information in our Newsletter? Education, Education, Education. Stay tuned not only for Product updates but also for new capabilities and value offered to our elite group of clients. Save time and money with our high quality, bargain Subscription Plan!
Or, take advantage of our FREE 15 day trial of Expresso to complete your Risk Assessment!
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Questions? Please call or write using the contact information below.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (800) 516-7903
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HIPAA Help
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What is the HIPAA Survival Guide® Subscription Plan and what does it include?
What is The Contingency Framework?
HIPAA Requirements for Cloud, Social Media, and Mobile including Policies and ProceduresHIPAA Requirements for Breach Notification including Policies and Procedures
HIPAA Requirements for a Business Associate Agreement including the essential terms of the agreement
How to prepare for a HIPAA Security Rule Audit
How to prepare for a HIPAA Privacy Rule Audit
How to prepare for a HIPAA Breach Notification Audit
How to prepare for a HIPAA Risk Assessment Audit
For HIPAA Help send us an Email at [email protected]
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