HIPAA: A Clinician’s Guide to Using and Protecting Patient’s Information

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) establishes national standards to protect sensitive patient health information and governs how clinicians use, disclose, and safeguard data. HIPAA: A Clinician’s Guide to Using and Protecting Patient’s Information provides healthcare professionals with a clear, practical understanding of their responsibilities under HIPAA law and how to maintain compliance in various clinical settings.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of HIPAA regulations, focusing on how they apply in real-world healthcare environments. Participants will explore the Privacy Rule, Security Rule, and the HITECH Act as they relate to electronic health records (EHR), patient communications, and administrative operations. Emphasis is placed on recognizing potential breaches, managing protected health information (PHI), and navigating authorized disclosures. The course includes common clinical scenarios to reinforce the correct handling of sensitive data and outlines the consequences of non-compliance.

Topics covered include:

• Overview of HIPAA Legislation: Understanding the purpose, scope, and structure of HIPAA, including the Privacy Rule, Security Rule, and Enforcement Rule.
• Protected Health Information (PHI): Defining PHI and identifying what constitutes unauthorized access or disclosure.
• Permitted Uses and Disclosures: Clarifying when and how PHI can be shared for treatment, payment, operations, and public health purposes.
• Minimum Necessary Standard: Ensuring that only the information essential for a task is accessed or disclosed.
• Clinical Applications: Appropriate documentation, patient hand-offs, verbal discussions, and email/text communication in healthcare settings.
• Security Safeguards: Administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect patient data in digital and physical formats.
• HIPAA Violations and Enforcement: Penalties, reporting procedures, breach notifications, and real-world case examples of non-compliance.
• Best Practices in Documentation and Communication: Preventing inadvertent breaches and ensuring ongoing compliance during clinical workflow.

Completion Requirements:

To receive full CE credit, participants must:

• Register for the course.
• Review all educational content.
• Complete the post-test with a score of 70% or higher.
• Submit the course evaluation.

Additional tools may include downloadable HIPAA compliance checklists and sample patient communication protocols.

Important Disclosures:

• Conflict of Interest:The course planners and faculty have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
• Commercial Support: No commercial sponsorship has been received for this activity.
• Non-Endorsement: Course approval does not imply endorsement of specific commercial products or services.
• Off-Label Product Use: No off-label use of medications or devices is addressed in this course.