Most consumers, and even some providers, are uninformed about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA) privacy and security rules. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has developed an array of new educational tools about HIPAA privacy and security regulations. You can find these materials on OCR’s website at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers.
OCR has posted a series of factsheets, available in eight languages, to inform consumers about their rights under the HIPAA Privacy Rule. The fact sheets complement a set of seven consumer-facing videos released earlier this year on OCR’s YouTube channel. An additional video was designed for providers in small practices and offers an overview of how to establish basic safeguards to protect patient information and comply with the security requirements.
OCR has also launched three modules for health care providers on compliance with various aspects of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. Patient Privacy: A Guide for Providers, HIPAA and You: Building a Culture of Compliance, and Examining Compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule can be found on Medscape.org.
Patients and providers can rest assured that their data and communications are safe and secure when using Get Real Health’s InstantPHR platform. The company’s patient engagement platform meets all the privacy and security requirements of HIPAA and HITECH and the InstantPHR SaaS offering has achieved HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF) Certified status through the HITRUST CSF Assurance Program. Get Real Health also supports DIRECT, Blue Button, and the ONC Privacy Notice.
“This is proof that innovative solutions do not have to come at the cost of privacy and security for patients and healthcare professionals,” said Get Real Health CEO Mark Heaney.
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