Assignment Details
The HITECH Act was incorporated into ARRA to promote the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology. Subtitle D of the HITECH Act, sections 13400–13424, addresses the privacy and security concerns associated with the electronic transmission of health information. It does so, in part, through several provisions that strengthen the civil and criminal enforcement of the HIPAA rules. (OCR, 2017)
Consider the following case from the course scenario on St. Michael’s Medical Center.
Case I: The Blue Wall
Many patients and regulators have accused the hospital of neglecting its organizational responsibilities to respect patient rights. The hospital has established a so-called blue wall to withhold information and protect its employees. The administration and the ethics committee overseeing these ethical issues were accused of cover-up and making decisions that endangered vulnerable people. In most cases, the hospital has failed to meet its responsibilities to patients and to comply with regulations. Some of the violations are the following:
- Employees have exposed patient information to unauthorized people.
- Nurses have made unilateral decisions and ignored informed consent mandates.
- Administrators have covered up instances of medication errors and failed to meet regulatory compliance regarding the handling, storage, and retention of medical records.
- Visitors have found sensitive patient information in files left in hallways and on laptops left in patients’ rooms. Mobile devices containing patient information that doctors have claimed were missing have been found lying around in public areas.
Few employees have done the right thing. Organizational lapses in policies and procedures occur at all levels.
As the newly hired chief executive officer (CEO), you have been asked to address these issues. You will make a presentation to help managers, supervisors, and general staff members to curb the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violations in the following areas:
- Communication
- Secure storage of information
- Retention of health information
Prepare a 15-slide PowerPoint addressing the following items:
- What are 5 effective health information communication methods? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these methods?
- What healthcare laws guide the sharing and delivery of health information among stakeholders? What type of health information could be shared and with whom?
- What are the benefits of sharing patient health information? What current applications are available to share patient information?
- What HIPAA mandates are about the disclosure of patient information, especially the Privacy and Security Rules?
- What are the benefits of using social media applications for sharing health information? What limitations exist in sharing health information using social media applications?
- What is the purpose of seeking patient consent to release medical records? What penalty exists for unauthorized release of patient health information as per HIPAA regulations?
- What communication skills are essential to patient satisfaction? How can lawsuits be avoided?
- How should healthcare organizations secure patient medical records? Who owns patient medical records?
- What protocols should be in place to store and share patient medical record information? What are the challenges of storing and communicating patient medical records?
- What are the benefits of adequate storage and communication of patient medical information? How would St. Michael’s Medical Center staff benefit from this training?
Reference
Office for Civil Rights (OCR). (2017, June 16). HITECH act enforcement interim final rule. HHS.gov. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/hitech-act-enforcement-interim-final-rule/index.html
Please submit your assignment.
Submitting your assignment in APA format means, at a minimum, that you will need the following:
- Title slide: Remember the running head. The title should be in all capitals.
- Length: 15 slides minimum
- Body slides: This begins on the slide following the title slide and must be double-spaced (be careful not to triple- or quadruple-space between paragraphs). The typeface should be 12-pt. Times Roman or 12-pt. Courier in regular black type. Do not use color, bold type, or italics, except as required for APA-level headings and references. The deliverable length of the body of your presentation for this assignment is 15 slides. In-body academic citations to support your decisions and analysis are required. A variety of academic sources is encouraged.
- Reference slide: References that align with your in-body academic sources are listed on the final slide of your presentation. The references must be in APA format using appropriate spacing, hanging indent, italics, and uppercase and lowercase usage as appropriate for the type of resource used. Remember, the Reference slide is not a bibliography but a further listing of the abbreviated in-body citations used in the paper. Every referenced item must have a corresponding in-body citation
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, incorporated into the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), promotes the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology. The act addresses the privacy and security concerns associated with the electronic transmission of health information. This assignment focuses on a case study from St. Michael’s Medical Center, where the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer has to address violations of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. The assignment requires the development of a PowerPoint presentation on effective methods for curtailing HIPAA violations in communication, secure storage of information, and retention of health information.
1. What are 5 effective health information communication methods? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these methods?
Answer: The five effective health information communication methods are verbal communication, written communication, electronic communication, telephonic communication, and video communication. The advantage and disadvantage of each method depend on various factors like the purpose, audience, medium, and confidentiality. Verbal communication is useful for face-to-face communication, but the disadvantage is the lack of record-keeping. Written communication is beneficial for documentation but may not be appropriate for emergency situations. Electronic communication is useful for quick and secure transmission of information, but confidentiality may be compromised. Telephonic communication is beneficial for consultations, but context and non-verbal cues may be lost. Video communication is an effective way to conduct virtual consultations, but it requires high-speed internet connectivity.
2. What healthcare laws guide the sharing and delivery of health information among stakeholders? What type of health information could be shared and with whom?
Answer: The healthcare laws that guide the sharing and delivery of health information among stakeholders include HIPAA, HITECH Act, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The type of health information that could be shared depends on the purpose and consent of the patient. Patient health information could be shared with healthcare providers, insurance companies, public health agencies, law enforcement agencies, and research institutions. However, the sharing of information must comply with the regulations and privacy rules specified in the healthcare laws.
3. What are the benefits of sharing patient health information? What current applications are available to share patient information?
Answer: The benefits of sharing patient health information include improved healthcare outcomes, reduced healthcare costs, enhanced public health surveillance, and improved healthcare research. The current applications available to share patient information include Electronic Health Records (EHR), Health Information Exchange (HIE), and Personal Health Records (PHR). These applications improve accessibility, interoperability, and security of patient information.
4. What HIPAA mandates are about the disclosure of patient information, especially the Privacy and Security Rules?
Answer: HIPAA mandates that the disclosure of patient information must be done with the patient’s consent, and the disclosure should be limited to the intended purpose. The Privacy Rule regulates the confidentiality and integrity of the patient’s health information, while the Security Rule requires appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic health information.
5. What are the benefits of using social media applications for sharing health information? What limitations exist in sharing health information using social media applications?
Answer: The benefits of using social media applications for sharing health information include widespread dissemination of healthcare information, improved patient engagement, cost-effectiveness, and real-time communication. The limitations of using social media applications include the lack of privacy and security, limited control over the content, and the potential for misinformation.
6. What is the purpose of seeking patient consent to release medical records? What penalty exists for unauthorized release of patient health information as per HIPAA regulations?
Answer: The purpose of seeking patient consent to release medical records is to protect the patient’s privacy and confidentiality. The patient has the right to know who is accessing their health information, and they have the right to deny consent for unauthorized disclosure. The penalty for unauthorized release of patient health information as per HIPAA regulations includes monetary fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the violation.
7. What communication skills are essential to patient satisfaction? How can lawsuits be avoided?
Answer: The essential communication skills for patient satisfaction include active listening, empathy, clarity, and effective feedback. To avoid lawsuits, healthcare providers should document all communication with the patient, obtain informed consent from the patient, and follow the standard of care.
8. How should healthcare organizations secure patient medical records? Who owns patient medical records?
Answer: Healthcare organizations should secure patient medical records by implementing appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards, regularly conducting risk assessments, and providing ongoing education and training to the workforce. The ownership of patient medical records belongs to the patient. However, healthcare providers have a legal responsibility to maintain a copy of the medical records.
9. What protocols should be in place to store and share patient medical record information? What are the challenges of storing and communicating patient medical records?
Answer: The protocols that should be in place to store and share patient medical record information include access controls, encryption, backup and recovery procedures, and regular audits. The challenges of storing and communicating patient medical records include interoperability and standardization issues, security and privacy concerns, and the high cost of implementation.
10. What are the benefits of adequate storage and communication of patient medical information? How would St. Michael’s Medical Center staff benefit from this training?
Answer: The benefits of adequate storage and communication of patient medical information include improved patient safety, increased efficiency, reduced healthcare costs, and better healthcare outcomes. The St. Michael’s Medical Center staff would benefit from this training by having a comprehensive understanding of HIPAA regulations, improved communication skills, and enhanced knowledge of health information technology. This would lead to better compliance, reduced errors, and improved patient satisfaction.
