The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is an essential measure in protecting healthcare patients’ information. Of course, healthcare providers must comply with HIPAA or face consequences.
For instance, fines can be as much as $1.5 million today. Providers may even lose licenses or be sanctioned. In order to protect yourself and your patients, we’ll cover the five most common HIPAA violations.
That way you can be sure to create the proper infrastructure, security measures, and strategies to avoid them.
The 5 Most Common Violations To The HIPAA Privacy Rule
1. Illegal Access Of Patient Files
If an employee accesses a file illegally when they’re not authorized, this results in a violation. There’s a reason that PHI (Protected Health Information) is so heavily monitored.
Using this information without authorization could even result in prison time for the employee. This wouldn’t just be detrimental to your organization, but also to your risk exposure.
2. Lost Or Stolen Devices
If your organization is not using access management or a HIPAA software provider, then it’s easy for anyone to access information with the right device. If a tablet, laptop, or smartphone becomes lost, then sensitive data can be accessed.
3. Disclosing of Information
If an employee violates HIPAA by disclosing personal information about a patient, this liability could fall on your company. Proper risk assessment can help you identify employees or partners who put you at high risk. Without it, disclosure is likely.
4. Mishandling Of Medical Records
It’s essential for healthcare providers to properly handle medical records. There must be specific compliant security measures, protocols, and clear access control priorities.
5. Lack of Training
Without the proper training on HIPAA compliance, it’s difficult to stay up with all of the standards. HIPAA consultants can both equip you with the right software and strategies to ensure that you create a robust compliance ecosystem.
This extends from the social, technological, and security aspects of your healthcare operations to key stakeholders in your operational hierarchy.
Avoid The Most Common Hipaa Violations With HIPAA Compliance Consulting
At ComplyAssistant, our HIPAA compliance consulting can assess your organization’s risk. They can recommend new and enhanced standards specific to your healthcare organization.
This allows you to maintain HIPAA security compliance and manage your data risks. Contact ComplyAssistant today for a free evaluation of your security and compliance needs.