Healthcare Situation Paper
Meadville Medical Center
Week 5 Paper
Roman Botashoff
HSC 545
07-14-2012
Mary Nell Cummings
Meadville Medical Center
Introduction
Email one of the main ways of communication for people for the past few decades, and millions are dependent on it on daily basis. Nowadays, it is widely used with the invention of the laptops, smartphones, and similar electronic devices. Healthcare is no different, trying to take advantage of technological breakthroughs in order to provide best possible care for the patients.
With wide use of emails, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations get challenged every day and no healthcare organization wants to be on the wrong side of the law. “While rapid improvements in information technology may be seen by many as a blessing, when applied to the healthcare industry, these advances in technology have created complications and increased the risk of loss, unauthorized use, and disclosure of sensitive health information.” Rego, S. A. (2008) The Meadville Medical Center chose to improve the security systems to match the needed requirements by HIPAA. Recent audit uncovered the flaws of current system and pointed out the violation that were committed on daily basis by the system. In order to comply with the law, the medical center decided to overhaul the entire electronic communication program.
What is HIPAA?
“HIPAA, through the Privacy Rule, calls for the protection against unauthorized disclosure of individually identifiable health information when it is stored or sent by a covered entity. This kind of information is better known as protected health information or PHI. If the PHI is stored or sent electronically (as in the case of email), then the term ePHI (for electronic protected health information) is used.” Send inc. (n.d.).
“The Privacy Rule, as well as all the Administrative Simplification rules, apply to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and to any health care provider
Week 5 Paper
Roman Botashoff
HSC 545
07-14-2012
Mary Nell Cummings
Meadville Medical Center
Introduction
Email one of the main ways of communication for people for the past few decades, and millions are dependent on it on daily basis. Nowadays, it is widely used with the invention of the laptops, smartphones, and similar electronic devices. Healthcare is no different, trying to take advantage of technological breakthroughs in order to provide best possible care for the patients.
With wide use of emails, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations get challenged every day and no healthcare organization wants to be on the wrong side of the law. “While rapid improvements in information technology may be seen by many as a blessing, when applied to the healthcare industry, these advances in technology have created complications and increased the risk of loss, unauthorized use, and disclosure of sensitive health information.” Rego, S. A. (2008) The Meadville Medical Center chose to improve the security systems to match the needed requirements by HIPAA. Recent audit uncovered the flaws of current system and pointed out the violation that were committed on daily basis by the system. In order to comply with the law, the medical center decided to overhaul the entire electronic communication program.
What is HIPAA?
“HIPAA, through the Privacy Rule, calls for the protection against unauthorized disclosure of individually identifiable health information when it is stored or sent by a covered entity. This kind of information is better known as protected health information or PHI. If the PHI is stored or sent electronically (as in the case of email), then the term ePHI (for electronic protected health information) is used.” Send inc. (n.d.).
“The Privacy Rule, as well as all the Administrative Simplification rules, apply to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and to any health care provider
References: HHS. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/index.html Send inc. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sendinc.com/blog/2011/06/how-to-achieve-email- compliance-with-the-hipaa-hitech-acts/ Fox Group. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.foxgrp.com Proof Point Inc. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.proofpoint.com Perschke, S. (2012). How to avoid five email management mistakes. Network World, 29(10), 14. Rego, S. A. (2008). Is your email HIPAA compliant?. Niwot, Colorado, US: APA Division 12, Society of Clinical Psychology. McBride, R. (2006). HIPAA 101. Health Care Biller, 15(8), 9-11.