For most healthcare providers and other businesses that deal with health information, one of the critical things they should pay attention to is their compliance with the HIPAA rules and regulations.

Essentially, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal statute that aims to protect certain health information by implementing data privacy and security provisions. This means that covered entities and business associates holding medical information should ensure compliance to avoid legal troubles later.  

With that in mind, this article will outline the do’s and don’ts of HIPAA compliance.

Do's  

You need to follow certain things to guarantee HIPAA compliance with your business. These can include: 

• Do Train Your Employees  

It's essential to train your employees to ensure your business complies with specific HIPAA rules and regulations. When your personnel is well-trained, they'll know how to handle certain protected health information more safely. They can also apply the policies to carry out their functions much more effectively and avoid problems along the way.  

With HIPAA training in place, you can ensure that everyone in your organization who manages protected health information can be familiar and knowledgeable with the proper protocols. In doing so, you can keep your business HIPAA compliant and free from any penalties for violating the rules.  

• Do Conduct Regular Audits  

Another important thing you should do to ensure compliance with HIPAA is to conduct regular audits. Having policies in place is essential for your business. However, you also need to check whether these rules and procedures are being followed and observed by everyone in your organization. That way, you'll know whether there's a need to modify or improve your practices to guarantee compliance.  

For example, you can examine your digital and physical storage measures to identify if they're still sufficient to protect your clients' health information. By doing regular audits, you'll get to have more information as to which areas of your HIPAA rules need to be addressed as quickly as possible.  

However, if you believe you need professional help for your HIPAA compliance, you can partner with any of the reputable service providers online. For instance, Techumen's HIPAA compliance services and other options can help you meet HIPAA obligations with minimal costs and staff use to your organization. They can also handle the audits for you, allowing your business to focus on other pressing matters in your daily operations.  

• Do Analyze The Potential Risks  

It's also crucial to conduct a thorough risk analysis to make the most out of your HIPAA compliance efforts. Doing so can help you quickly identify any potential risks that can make your business non-compliant with specific policies and procedures. When you're aware of the known threats to your protected health information, you can develop some preemptive measures to resolve them and mitigate any trouble it may cause your organization in the long run. 

Don'ts  

Aside from familiarizing yourself with the essential do’s, there are also things and practices that should be avoided when it comes to HIPAA compliance. These can include:

• Do Not Deal With HIPAA Compliance By Yourself  

Dealing and tackling compliance alone can be one of the mistakes to avoid. Whether your organization is only covered by a few aspects of HIPAA or otherwise, you shouldn't handle things on your own to ensure you stay compliant.  

Although partnering with a consultant can be costly, it's still one of the best things to do if you want to avoid the payment of hefty penalties. Unless you're well aware of the ins and outs of HIPAA compliance, you need to work with a consultant to have a robust framework on how to implement rules and regulations. More so, they also have the knowledge, skills, and expertise to help prepare your business for compliance with the privacy, security, and notification rules under HIPAA.  

• Do Not Access Files Using Unsecured Devices And Connections

While it is true that the digital and technology age has paved the way for convenience and ease of access to information, it’d be good to note that it has downsides too. Data privacy and protection risks are always present. That said, accessing files using unsecured devices and network connections can make you non-compliant. This means that you might have to enforce passwords or PINs on your devices and avoid utilizing public WIFI and unsecured browsers. 

• Do Not Overlook Common Mistakes And Errors

When your organization is covered by HIPAA, you should do everything in your power to avoid committing any mistakes and errors that can make you non-compliant. The following are some of the common violations you should avoid, ensuring your business stays compliant at all times:  

• Leaving Devices and Documents Unattended: Make sure the devices and documents containing protected health information should be kept in a safe and secure place to avoid unauthorized access.  
• Discussing Patient Information on Social Media: Refrain from posting anything about your client or patient on social media to avoid unauthorized disclosure of PHI.  
• Browsing Patient or Client Records Without Justifiable Reasons: Make sure your staff only access patient or client health information for valid reasons, such as treatment and payment purposes.  

Bottom Line  

HIPAA compliance is an essential aspect of running a healthcare-related business. Regardless of what stage you are in your compliance efforts, be sure to keep the do's and don'ts in mind mentioned above. By doing so, you can have peace of mind knowing your business is safe against the costly penalties associated with HIPAA compliance violations.