Bring Your Own Device policy (BYOD) in health care organizations is a growing trend that shows a considerably positive effect that few people could notice any violations that may accompany it. The policy allows staff in an organization to carry their personal electronic devices like mobile phones, computers, and laptops to facilitate their work by helping store and access certain information (Herzig 20).
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted in 1996. It entails security and privacy regulations constructed to ensure good security measures are applied to protect patient data in health facilities, especially where BYOD policy is active. The policies provided in HIPAA also ensure that only authorized people access information stored in the devices used by health providers (Powell 1-2).
HIPAA security regulations offer standards for ensuring that patient data on electronic devices are safeguarded. HIPAA cover how we can use and disclose patient information while the HIPAA privacy policies explain how patient information should be accessed and disclosed. Schneider (55) reviews that violation of HIPAA security and privacy laws majorly entail the attainment, retrieving and using medical information by a person who is not subject to the health data or is not permitted to offer medical services.
How BYOD can violate HIPAA security/privacy laws
Lack of Confidentiality
BYOD policy may not promote confidentiality and integrity, which is a major requirement in the HIPAA regulations (Health Information Privacy). Health providers should come up with strategies to follow up on and protect information they have concerning their client. 5111 Physical Security Policy ensures that the security of the devices used by ...
... middle of paper ...
...Security in Healthcare: Building a Security
Program. Chicago, IL: HIMSS, 2013. Print.
HIPAA. Minneapolis, MN: Minnesota Institute of Legal Education, 2003. Print.
Liu, Yu. PACS and Digital Medicine: Essential Principles and Modern Practice. Boca
Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2011. 11. Print
Powell, Suzanne. "HIPAA." Lippincott's Case Management 8.1 (2003): 1-2.
Roberts, Albert. “Do BYOD Programs Encourage Bullying.” Edutopia. 24 May 2013. Web.
12 Nov. 2013. .
Schneider, Mary Ellen. "HIPAA privacy enforcement. (Policy & Practice)." OB GYN News
2003: 55.
Widmer, Lori. "HIPAA critical: since the passage of the Health Information Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996, companies have been working toward compliance. Yet are risk managers ready? (Liability)."Risk & Insurance 1 Aug. 2003: 35.
Overall these sources proved to provide a great deal of information to this nurse. All sources pertained to HIPAA standards and regulations. This nurse sought out an article from when HIPAA was first passed to evaluate the timeline prospectively. While addressing the implications of patient privacy, these articles relate many current situations nurses and physicians encounter daily. These resources also discussed possible violations and methods to prevent by using an informaticist and information technology.
The major goal of HIPAA or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is to provide insurance portability, fraud enforcement, and administrative simplification for the health care industry. HIPAA was created because of the growing concerns about keeping health care information private, the need to consolidate non-standard health care data ...
Some of the things that HIPAA does for a patient are it gives patients more control over their health information. It sets boundaries on the use and release of health records. It establishes appropriate guidelines that health care providers and others must do to protect the privacy of the patients’ health information. It holds violators accountable, in court that can be imposed if they violate patients’ privacy rights by HIPAA. Overall HIPAA makes it to where the health information can’t b...
. HIPAA privacy rules are complicated and extensive, and set forth guidelines to be followed by health care providers and other covered entities such as insurance carriers and by consumers. HIPAA is very specific in its requirements regarding the release of information, but is not as specific when it comes to the manner in which training and policies are developed and delivered within the health care industry. This paper will discuss how HIPAA affects a patient's access to their medical records, how and under what circumstances personal health information can be released to other entities for purposes not related to health care, the requirements regarding written privacy policies for covered entities, the training requirements for medical office employees and the consequences for not following the policy.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA is a statute endorsed by the U.S. Congress in 1996. It offers protections for many American workers which improves portability and continuity of health insurance coverage. The seven titles of the final law are Title I - Health care Access , Portability, Title II - Preventing Health Care Fraud and Abuse; administrative simplification; Medical Liability Reform; Title III – Tax-related Health Provisions; Title IV – Application and Enforcement of Group Health Plan Requirements; Title V – Revenue Offsets; Title XI – General Provisions, Peer Review, Administrative Simplification; Title XXVII – Assuring Portability, Availability and Renewability of Health Insurance Coverage. (Krager & Krager, 2008)
The Security Rule of the HIPAA law affects technology the most in a Healthcare or Human Service organization. The Security Rule deals specifically with Electronic Protected Health Information (EPHI). The EPHI has three types of security safeguards that are mandatory to meet compliance with HIPAA regulations. Administrative, physical, and technical. There is constant concern of different kinds of devices and tools because of their vulnerability: laptops; personal computers of the home; library and public workstations; USB Flash Drives and email, to name a few. These items are easily accessible for those attempting to breach security. Workers of the healthcare area have complet...
Congress addressed growing public concern about privacy and security of personal health data, and in 1996 passed “The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act” (HIPAA). HIPAA sets the national standard for electronic transfers of health data. Before HIPAA, each state set their own standards. Now states must abide by the minimum standards set by HIPAA. States can enact laws to incorporate and/or strengthen the basic rights given by HIPAA.
What Role does HIPPA play in the transition and how does it protect patient privacy? HIPPA has a set of regulations and guidelines the must be met and...
... and HIPAA, Does instant access and availability from mobile technology jeopardize patient privacy? [Electronic version] Nursing Management, June 2007, 38-40
The flip side of the signing a confidentiality document under HIPAA policy healthcare officials many times has been frustrated because bounds they can’t cross. Many times family or friends who aren’t authorizes obtains valuable medical information are coming all hours of the day to ask for critical medical reason, the nurses, physicians and others officials bid my law not to get out information on the telephone, or in personal if the individual or individuals name aren’t on the privacy document. Having a ...
The confidentiality of patient visits and medical records are essential in providing the highest quality of health care. Under penalty of law, a patient's medical records or any other information regarding the patient may only be released with his or her authorization. Exceptions to this are certain cases specified by law for example, health care providers are required to report certain communicable diseases such as measles. Many organizations and laws have been developed to maintain patient's rights of confidentiality and access to their medical record. Guided by the principle that confidentiality is essential in developing strong trust between patients and healthcare providers, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) members are committed to ensuring that patient records are disclosed and only available to medical personnel and others acquired by law. In July 1999, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), introduced a new Patient's Rights Condition of Participation (CPO) that hospitals must meet to be approved for, or to continue participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The Health Insurance and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) addresses the security and privacy of health data and also issues standards for electronic health care transactions. The vast accumulations of personal medical data gives rise to serious privacy concerns as a result of the potential for misuse.
While the HIPAA regulations call for the medical industry to reexamine how it protects patient information, the standards put in place by HIPAA do not provide ...
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, is a law designed “to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets, to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to promote the use of medical savings accounts, to improve access to long-term care services and coverage, to simplify the administration of health insurance, and for other purposes.”1 HIPAA mandates that covered entities must employ technological means to ensure the privacy of sensitive information. This white paper intends to study the requirements put forth by HIPAA by examining what is technically necessary for them to be implemented, the technological feasibility of this, and what commercial, off-the-shelf systems are currently available to implement these requirements.
Smart phones and social media in the health care field presents opportunities and growth advancement but also comes with many consequences and challenges. Health care organizations have regulated the use of smartphones and posting confidential information on social media such as HIPPA, which have laws intact if violated these laws may lead to termination or fines. The patient’s privacy and confidentiality is important when creating such policies, to maximize work efficiency and to create a safe environment. Furthermore, health care staff need to ensure that their patient care standards aren’t compromised by the use of these devices or social media postings.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (PSQIA), Confidential Information and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA), and the Freedom of Information Act all provide legal protection under many laws. It also involves ethical protection. The patient must be able to completely trust the healthcare provider by having confidence that their information is kept safe and not disclosed without their consent. Disclosing any information to the public could be humiliating for them. Patient information that is protected includes all medical and personal information related to their medical records, medical treatments, payment records, date of birth, gender, and