The Various HIPAA Regulations For Laboratories

The confidentiality of the test results will need to be maintained by all laboratories and they must take adequate safeguards to help protect it. All the staff working there must be aware of the various Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act rules and regulations pertaining to protected information of patients.

What Are The Top 4 Things You Need To Know About HIPAA Regulations For Laboratories?

- Test results of the various treatment processes that are done by patients are the primary source of information that is available at laboratories. Apart from this there can also be information relating to insurance claims and visits to the physician's office. All this information can be stored electronically or on paper and it is important that only people who are authorized are able to access it easily.

- There are various ways in which laboratories deliver the test results to other covered entities. This can include physicians, nurses, hospitals and clinics.When the test-results are delivered to the physician's office the laboratories usually trusts them and assumes that the doctor will have enough safeguards in place to ensure that the protected information is not misused. There is usually a lot of risk involved in delivering the results this way.

- The other method in which the results of the patients are delivered involves acceptance of total responsibility by the laboratory. In this method the laboratory will assume total responsibility of delivering the results from one*point to the other. This will ensure that the confidential results are safe and secure. The next method of delivering test results would involve sharing of responsibility between the laboratory and other health care providers (doctors and nurses).

- The laboratory cannot be sharing the results with the patients too unless it has been specifically authorized to do so. The laboratories would be able to share the results only with physicians. It is also the responsibility of the laboratory staff to inform patients about their HIPAA rights so that they are aware about it.

There are various forms that the patient might be required to sign when they visit the laboratory for different tests. This will provide the laboratory with the requisite permission that it needs to access the results for the propose of treatment.

The patient can also request the laboratory for information pertaining to their results and if the state laws permit they should be provided with this information within a period of thirty days from the date on which the results were made. If the protected information is to be provided to any other health care provider it is important to take authorization from the patient.

What Are the Various HIPAA Rules That Need To Be Followed?

There are various organizations that are classified as covered entities and they will need to safeguard all medical records of patients by following the provisions of HIPAA. The privacy and security rules of HIPAA contain all the rules and regulations that aim to safeguard the protected information of patients.

5 HIPAA Rules That Need To Be Followed :

  -  Hospitals, clinics, health insurance companies, doctors and nurses are often classified as covered entities as per the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. These organizations and individuals will be storing and transmitting protected information of patients. All safeguards that have been stipulated by HIPAA will need to be adhered to by them.

  -  All individuals who are employed in these covered entities will need to be adequately trained in the rules and regulations of HIPAA for better compliance. These training sessions can be conducted by the employer and employees will need to pass an examination to get certification.

  -  The covered entities will need to employ a compliance officer who will ensure that all rules and regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act are adhered to. The protected information cannot be disclosed to anyone and if anyone is found violating this, it will invite very strict penalties.

  -  There are specific restrictions on how this confidential information should be accessed and used. Doctors and nurses would be able to access medical records for treatment purposes. If the medical records are needed for any other purpose authorization from the patient will be required. There are certain exemptions where the confidential information of patients can be accessed by federal agencies without authorization from the patients.

  -  There are very stringent requirements that need to be fulfilled according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Noncompliance of HIPAA attracts very strict penalties. The law does not make any discrimination between intentional and unintentional violations. The penalties can be fines or imprisonment for the violation. The penalties are usually fines in case of civil violations and it can include imprisonment in case of criminal violations.

There are various standards that are set by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and it is important that these are followed by the covered entities. If any organization makes repeated violations the penalties could result in it losing its ability to do business.

HIPAA is an important legislation that aims to have enough safeguards in place so that there is no misuse or abuse. There are various instances when individuals who have accessed the protected information have used it for commercial purposes. This will be prevented if all the safeguards that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act stipulate are put into place.