Phase 2 of the HIPAA audit program was rolled out in March 2016. There are currently more than 200 desk audits ongoing, 167 of those focused on providers, according to Healthcare IT News. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) will be conducting on-site HIPAA audits in 2017. An on-site…
DetailsAccording to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), Patient Generated Health Data (PGHD) are “health-related data created, recorded, or gathered by or from patients (or family members or other caregivers) to help address a health concern. PGHD include, but are not limited to health history, treatment history, biometric data, symptoms, and lifestyle choices.” The data is collected and…
DetailsAccording to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) health literacy is “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” This includes the ability to understand instructions on prescriptions, doctor’s directions and medical education brochures, as well…
DetailsInformation Governance (IG) is a large, complex area (as determined by a recent survey); awareness of it is high (almost 85 percent) and almost 75 percent were familiar with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) definition of IG. However, only 15 percent of respondents to a recent survey reported a prioritization of IG within…
DetailsApril is AHIMA Privacy and Security Month, a great opportunity to keep confidentiality and security on everyone’s radar. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) states, “The Privacy Rule sets the floor providing baseline requirements to preserve the overall confidentiality of protected health information (PHI) regardless of type (e.g. verbal, paper, electronic). The Security Rule…
DetailsThese days, digital information is gold. This is especially true in healthcare, where organizations strategically use health information to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and try to enhance the safety and quality of patient care. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) defines information governance “as an organization-wide framework for managing information throughout its lifecycle and…
DetailsObesity is serious – and costly. Weight that is higher than what is considered a healthy weight for a given height is described as overweight or obese. Body Mass Index, or BMI, is used as a screening tool for overweight or obesity. More than one-third (36.5%) of American adults are obese, according to the Centers…
DetailsHealthcare organizations are under attack. Hospitals, physician groups, insurance companies – every kind of medical facility is a potential target for cyber-attacks. According to a report from Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, “one in 13 patients – roughly 25 million people – will have personal information, such as social security or…
DetailsAs the majority of us are aware, recent years have been increasingly challenging in relation to cyber security. Many hospitals across the country have been victims of a hacker attack. Ransomware has become an extremely lucrative operation for cyber criminals. When hackers target hospitals, the consequences can be devastating – especially for rural hospitals. Delayed…
DetailsThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a proposed rule that would make changes in the second year of the Quality Payment Program as required by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The main goal is to ease provider burdens, making it easier for rural and small providers to…
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