HIPAA Training and Exams: 7 Important Things You May Not Know
The guidelines and regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are relevant to all the covered entities or healthcare organizations that deal with the use, storage, and exchange of medical records of patients. These organizations are required to ensure that their employees comply with the regulations of the act. To help them do so, HIPAA training is made available for the employees. This will lead to better understanding of the act and therefore better compliance.
Every individual has his/her own way to interpret rules, and if employees are left to themselves; this is what they will do with the HIPAA rules. In order to avoid any such confusions, training is essential. Employers can choose whether to arrange an on-the-job or online training program for their employees. HIPAA training is not meant to be once-in-a-lifetime. It is a continuous process. The act is regularly amended and new regulations may be added to it. The employers must make these changes known to the employees at regular intervals. This can be done through notices, newsletters, or refresher courses.
Listed below are seven things about HIPAA training and exams that you may not know.
– The consequences of violations are very severe. HIPAA imposes severe penalties for non-compliance, like fines and imprisonment. Therefore, HIPAA training is essential to make sure employees are aware of all the procedures to be followed.
– Nowadays, all transactions related to medical information of patients are done electronically. Hence, training will include computer classes as well. Any files shared online must be encrypted and all the computers must be password protected at different levels. Passwords must never be shared with unauthorized employees.
– When a new employee joins the healthcare organization, he/she is to undertake HIPAA training and exams as soon as possible. Training can be done online from his/her own home or at the job site.
– Once the training is successfully completed, a completion certificate will be issues, which proves that you understand all the rules and regulations of the act.
– HIPAA training classes are short, varying from 30 minutes to an hour. It can be scheduled as one session or broken up in to couple of sessions, depending on the employer.
– HIPAA is subject to regular changes and additions. Therefore, refresher courses can be conducted to keep the employees up-to-date with the newest amendments. The HIPAA website sends out regular notifications and it is the employer’s duty to let the employees know through newsletters, notices, seminars, and emails. Being aware of changes will help employees be compliant with the new rules.
– If an employee accidentally commits a violation then it is advisable to allow him/her to undertake the training again.
HIPAA exams ensure that employees know exactly what to do to protect the confidentiality of patient records. This in turn results in fewer or no violations. HIPAA training benefits both the employers and the employees and must not be taken lightly.
For more information, please visit our HIPAA Exams website http://www.hipaaexams.com/index.asp.
For more information, please visit our HIPAA Exams website.
For more information, please visit our HIPAA Exams website http://www.hipaaexams.com/index.asp
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