Be Creative When It Comes to HIPAA Training
 
You and your office staff may think that breaking the rules that regulate patient privacy is hard to do, or that only those people with a poor sense of ethics would reveal protected health information about patients. But it happens with alarming frequency. Individuals who violate the privacy guidelines established by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) can be at risk for employment termination, and even jail time.

It is very easy to cross the limits established by the HIPAA. You can see how easy it is in this video called "HIPAA Happens." Created by the Clinical Simulation Center of Las Vegas, this short instructional video utilizes scenarios to identify that elevators, restrooms, mobile phones, and computers are all areas where staff needs to exercise extra vigilance.

CAP's Risk Management & Patient Safety Department encourages you to seek ways to make HIPAA training more interesting for your staff. Include panel discussions, role play, and patient scenarios of "What would you do (or say)?" in your training sessions. These strategies can provide you with innovative ways to teach and reinforce HIPAA principles.


Authored by
Paula Paulson, RN, MS
CAP Risk Management & Patient Safety


 

Published comments of this information should not be considered legal advice applicable to a specific situation. Legal guidance for individual matters should be obtained from a retained attorney.