HIPAA Software
Assessing the need for HIPPA software – By now, most everyone has at least heard of HIPAA. The original legislation was passed in 1996 and required compliance by 2003. Anyone who has been to the doctor since then should have been given a notice of that doctor’s privacy policies and been asked to sign after reviewing it. That is one simple part of HIPAA and most covered entities at least understand and practice that aspect of it.
Most of us sign the paper without ever really reading it and hand it back to the receptionist. Most patients have never thought much about the privacy policies of the businesses and offices they work with. Surprisingly—and unfortunately—some of those businesses have thought very little about the privacy policies and other HIPAA regulations as well.
It is not only ethical, but required by law to be HIPAA compliant. However, the legislation is long and detailed yet sometimes vague about what exactly is required of the various “covered entities,” which includes everything from an individual doctor’s office to billing companies to school districts. In order to cover all their bases and be sure they are HIPAA compliant and that their policies and procedures are water tight, many covered entities are turning to HIPAA training software to find solutions.
HIPAA Software itself is obviously not going to guarantee an office is HIPAA compliant. It can help an office navigate the law and guide someone in creating appropriate policies and procedures, but it is, of course, up to the employees involved to follow those policies and procedures. However, a quality HIPAA software program can be an important tool in setting the foundation for a company’s compliance.
A quality software system for HIPAA compliance will ensure that it is specific to the covered entity using it. Just as covered entities may vary greatly in the type of business they conduct and how they use an individual’s information, the policies and procedures will also vary depending on the type of business. Effective HIPAA software will address not only the initial HIPAA legislation of 1996 but also the additions to the law in more recent years—the 2006 Security Rule and the 2009 HITECH Act. The program should also address policies and procedures used day to day by an office as well as atypical circumstances the office may face at some point. Effective HIPAA software will not only address policies and procedures to be used within a covered entity but also policies and procedures for how that covered entity will interact with individuals and businesses. Last, but not least, good HIPAA software is easy to use.
Interactive HIPAA meets all of the mentioned criteria. In a sense, it takes some time to “get to know” your covered entity. By asking you to answer many questions about your business, the program is better able to generate policies, procedures, and forms that are applicable and specific to your covered entity. These forms are printed and placed in the provided binders to use for reference and training. Using the software is easy – all you have to do is implement and follow the policies it helped you create.
