As the saying goes, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Here at HIPAAwise, we’re firm believers of learning from history and taking that knowledge and using it to your advantage.
As you work to become HIPAA compliant you may wonder what you could be fined for or how patient health information could be involved in a breach. We understand HIPAA compliance can be confusing at times, and something may be overlooked which could be the difference between being fined and being in compliance.
To better help others understand, we have provided resources to review all HIPAA Fines imposed from 2015 to current. The most recent fines include the mishandling of patient information, the lack of understanding of HIPAA compliance, and no audit controls when employees are terminated or leave the company. To see the full list of the Office of Civil Rights click here. The settlement will take you to the Health Information Privacy for a longer description of the violation.
In 2016, the number of security breaches increased 40 percent of over 2015. Breaches occur every day including, loss, theft, hacking or IT incidents and unauthorized access to patient information. Employees should be properly trained to help prevent breaches including but not limited to, knowing not to click on links from email addresses they aren’t familiar with, properly disposing of patient records, and working with business associates to ensure all policies and procedures are being followed properly. To view the list of Office of Civil Rights Breach Report, click here. Due to the sheer amount of breaches, you can filter by the type of breach in the top left hand corner.
If you’re looking to avoid situations found within the resources, sign up for a demonstration of HIPAAwise Powered by The van Halem Group. Our system is easy to use, and will take you beyond the four fundamentals of HIPAA, to ensure HIPAA compliance is met. If you have more questions please contact us here.