HIPAA or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was enacted in 1996 as a law by the United States Congress. This law was enforced mainly to safeguard the health insurance of healthcare employees should they lose their jobs. Therefore, they had to come up with certain national guidelines and regulations for all the areas of healthcare. HIPAA also established strict rules regarding disclosure of the medical information of patients. This means that a patient’s health information is private and cannot be accessed, used, and shared with any unauthorized person or company.

For these guidelines to be adhered to properly, healthcare employees need to know and understand what HIPAA is and what guidelines it lays down. HIPAA training programs were started with this need in mind. HIPAA training is very important and four points that tell you why are mentioned below.

– HIPAA training encompasses a rigorous course that includes a thorough study of HIPAA guidelines and other regulations so that the trainees can fully comprehend and understand everything this act entails. Almost all healthcare employees need to undertake this training. Other professions that also deal with patients, their health records and information will also need to train employees. HIPAA training can be completed in a classroom setting as well as online. These days the online training programs are more popular due to the convenience and flexibility they offer. At the end of the training a test is given, and on successful completion of that test, you become HIPAA certified.

– HIPAA training makes sure that all the employees who work with patients and their sensitive information on a daily basis are knowledgeable about the policy of information disclosure. The employees also learn to identify who are those authorized people who can access and use patient information, and who cannot. Through HIPAA training employees can do their best to make sure they are always complying with the rules and regulations laid down by HIPAA.

– If the employees are trained, it satisfies the patients as they know that the employees who are taking care of them and their sensitive information fully understand the importance of non-disclosure. They can rest assured that their information is in trained hands and will be protected.

– HIPAA training is also important for those employees who work in call centre businesses in the medical industry. This will ensure that if a patient calls the hospital, or gets an answering machine to make appointments, his/her information will be safe. If all the call operators of these call centres are trained, it ensures that the medical information of all the patients does not reach unauthorized personnel.

It is good for employees in all areas of the medical industry to have a basic awareness of the HIPAA guidelines. Training ensures more compliance and lesser violations. Violations to HIPAA guidelines are taken very seriously and have strict repercussions. Hence it is important that healthcare employees are trained well regarding all the regulations of this act.

For more information, please visit our HIPAA Training website.

For more information, please visit our HIPAA Training website http://www.hipaaexams.com/hipaa-training.asp

Author Bio: For more information, please visit our HIPAA Training website.

Category: Advice
Keywords: HIPAA Training