ENTtoday
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

Preparing for Increased HIPAA Audits Among Smaller Providers

by Steven M. Harris, Esq. • May 9, 2016

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

The unfortunate truth is that a security incident is more likely to happen than not. Therefore, it is critical that you take the following steps now to ensure you are prepared in the event of an audit or breach:

You Might Also Like

No related posts.

Explore This Issue
May 2016
  • Conduct a thorough review of your HIPAA policies and procedures. Confirm that those policies and procedures have actually been implemented and are effective.
  • Review applicable state law to ensure that your HIPAA compliance program also complies with state health privacy laws. Many states have adopted privacy regulations that specifically address health information, and understanding these laws is a critical component of compliance.
  • Assemble an incident response team (IRT). Involve legal, IT, and human resources representatives, among others.
  • Draft an incident response plan (IRP). This will be your go-to document in the event of a breach and should identify the IRT and clearly describe the decision-making process when handling security incidents.
  • Test your IRT & IRP. This can be done by educating and then testing your IRT on HIPAA compliance requirements. In addition, pose hypothetical security incidents to the IRT and have them follow the IRP. Once completed, revise the IRP to overcome any shortcomings noted during the hypothetical scenario.
  • Perform a risk assessment. Include penetration testing of your computers, devices, and electronic health record software.

Completing these steps will not only benefit your organization by reducing the likelihood of investigations, complaints, security incidents, and significant time and money spent responding to such issues, it will bring you peace of mind in the knowledge that your organization is well prepared.


Steven M. Harris, EsqSteven M. Harris, Esq., is a nationally recognized healthcare attorney and a member of the law firm McDonald Hopkins LLC. Contact him via email.

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: Departments, Legal Matters Tagged With: audit, HHS, HIPAA complianceIssue: May 2016

You Might Also Like:

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Complications for When Physicians Change a Maiden Name
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • Is Middle Ear Pressure Affected by Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Use?
    • Otolaryngologists Are Still Debating the Effectiveness of Tongue Tie Treatment
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • What Happens to Medical Students Who Don’t Match?
    • Rating Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Severity: How Do Two Common Instruments Compare?
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • Neurogenic Cough Is Often a Diagnosis of Exclusion
    • Novel Bioabsorbable Plate Associated with Lower Leak Risk in Patients Receiving Endoscopic Skull Base Repair
    • New Findings Support Use of Cemiplimab as Neoadjuvant Therapy in Patients with Resectable Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
    • Kinetic Oscillation Stimulation an Effective, Lasting Second-Line Treatment for Patients with Nonallergic Rhinitis
    • Otolaryngologists Vary Significantly in Choice of Injectable Materials for Vocal Fold Injection Augmentation
    • COVID-19 Infection May Be Associated with Unique Manifestation of Facial Nerve Paralysis/Palsy

Polls

Do you believe that having more otolaryngologists appear on mainstream media outlets is a good thing for the field?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Preferences

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2023 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939