Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA sample form

Publication Date: November 02, 2001

Author: Demster, Barbara

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: January 02, 2002

E-health privacy and security can be confusing and overwhelming issues when one is new to the world of technology and the Internet.
Many perceive the Internet as a clearly defined entity in a universe called cyberspace.We see “e-health” defined as Internet-related healthcare activities,....

Author: Bostic, Kimberley C.; Lang, Matthew D.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: January 02, 2002

In today’s high-tech environment, it may seem surprising that many hospital scheduling procedures are marred with inefficiency. In fact, ineffective processes in the healthcare industry are common. Its been said that 33 cents of every healthcare dollar spent in the U.S. is wasted. Managed car....

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: January 02, 2002

Q: A couple were on vacation in my city when the husband suddenly became ill and died in our facility. The wife requested copies of the record to take home with her. She had listed herself as next of kin. Was it correct to give her a copy of the record?


A: The answer to this qu....

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: January 02, 2002

Q: Our fiscal intermediary (FI) has recently informed us that we are obligated to notify them whenever an attorney requests a record of a Medicare patient. Is that true?


A: It appears to be true. The Medicare Intermediary Manual states:


Provider Receives Reques....

Author: Gore, Glennda

Source: AHIMA Foundation

Publication Date: January 08, 2002

In an effort to comply with the upcoming HIPAA confidentiality requirements, McAlester Regional Health Center has begun to review all policies and procedures concerning patient confidentiality and data security. During this process, the use of language interpreters was identified as one a....

Author: Brandt, Mary D.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: February 02, 2002

Since the final HIPAA privacy regulations were published, there’s been a lot of discussion about “minimum necessary” requirements. Under the regulations, healthcare providers and payers must make reasonable efforts to limit the use or disclosure of protected health information to the minimum....

Author: Marsh, Carmilla

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2002

Release of information is a perennial challenge for HIM professionals in all care settings. However, long-term care offers some special challenges, especially in the light of the HIPAA privacy rule published in December 2000 (with a compliance date of April 2003). This article reviews the basi....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2002

An increasing number of healthcare workforce members are telecommuting. As transcriptionists, coders, customer service representatives, and others are working from home, many providers are weighing the benefits against potential privacy and security risks.

Who Is Working from Home....

Author: Odette, Rose

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: February 02, 2002

Security is not a new concept for health information management departments. The amazing thing about HIPAA is everyone seems to think security and patient medical information are new and difficult concepts. The fact of the matter is that there have been medical record laws on the books for ye....

Author: Wilder, Steven S.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: March 02, 2002

Many of us who have been in health-care administration for more than a few years can remember a day when “securing medical records” meant enacting adequate control over who had keys to the record storage room, or perhaps an engineered access control system, and appropriate policies....

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: March 02, 2002

Q: Does the individual to whom a patient has granted durable power of attorney for financial matters have the right to access and authorize use or disclosure of the patient’s protected health information (PHI) under HIPAA?


A: An individual granted durable power of attorney for....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2002

Of all the components of HIPAA, physical security may be the most challenging and costly to address. After all, how do you move walls or create doors in open space? This article will show how physical security can be flexible, scalable, and reasonable for healthcare facilities.

What....

Author: Choy, Angela; Pritts, Joy; Goldman, Janlori

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2002

E-health—from basic health information Web sites to online consultations—is flourishing. And though the government is trying to protect consumers under the HIPAA privacy rule, many Web sites aren’t covered. In this article, privacy experts explain which Web sites are covered an....

Author: Levinson, Curtis K.S.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: May 02, 2002

Chain of trust agreements (CTAs) have two separate components: law and technology. Though the legal and technical components function together, each requires individual subject matter expertise to correctly craft an effective CTA.
CTAs are of paramount importance to the healthcare commu....

Author: Thieleman, William

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2002

HIPAA promises patients the right to access and amend their medical records, but HIM departments are responsible for making it happen. How will your facility provide this service for patients? The author offers ideas from experts on designing an access and amendment process.
Among the ch....

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: May 02, 2002

Q: In light of HIPAA restrictions on protected health information, I’m concerned about our HIM department’s practice of accepting HIM students for professional practice experience. What should be considered in deciding whether to continue this practice?


A: HIPAA’s pr....

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: June 02, 2002

Q: Our facility is developing our notice of privacy practices under HIPAA. We need to decide how we will communicate with individuals when we make changes to our notice. What are the acceptable methods for communicating with our patient population? Do we have to send a paper copy to everyone whose....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret; Waymack, Pam

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2002

The HIPAA privacy rule provides individuals the right to request access to and amendment of their protected health information maintained in a designated record set (DRS). To ensure that the DRS is completely identified but excludes information that does not pertain, covered entities should ad....

Author: Johnson, Robert J.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: June 02, 2002

Death and taxes are often jokingly referred to as the only sure things in life. However, for the purposes of this article, I’d like to offer three additional scenarios: Hard-copy records of patient information will be created in abundance and in many different forms.
Those records will e....

Author: AHIMA Professional Practice Team

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: July 02, 2002

Q: I have requested the immunization records from a patient’s former healthcare provider with the patient’s written permission. The former healthcare provider refuses to send the immunization records because the patient has a balance on the account. Is this legal?


A:....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

The many exceptions to the HIPAA privacy rule’s accounting of disclosures standard make it difficult to determine what must be tracked. Although the rule gives patients the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of their health information, it lists several exceptions. This article....

Author: AHIMA Professional Practice Team

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: July 02, 2002

Q: I work in a clinic setting. An attorney has requested copies of a patient’s entire record. The record includes reports dictated by one of the clinic physicians at a local hospital during the patient’s hospitalization. The attorney has the patient’s permission. Are we allowed....

Author: Burrington-Brown, Jill

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: July 2002

Q: I work in a clinic setting. An attorney has requested copies of a patient's entire record. The record includes reports dictated by one of the clinic physicians at a local hospital during the patient's hospitalization. The attorney has the patient's permission. Are we allowed under HIPAA to....

Author: Roach, Michael C.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: August 02, 2002

Part one in a two-part series
This is the first of two articles on the subject of HIPAA preemption of state privacy law. This article will explain the provisions of the HIPAA regulations regarding preemption. In the September issue we will discuss some practical effects of the preemptio....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

The HIPAA transactions, security, and privacy regulations identify five agreements and relationships that can be established between healthcare entities to achieve economies of scale and lessen HIPAA's administrative burden. They are: affiliated covered entity (ACE)

business associa....

Author: Lieteau, Triste

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: September 02, 2002

Since the publication of the final modifications to the HIPAA privacy rule in the Federal Register on August 14, 2002, many healthcare providers have been working diligently to understand the proposed revisions and their impact on HIPAA compliance efforts already underway.While some of the mo....

Author: Gradle, Brian D.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2002

While HIM professionals work to implement HIPAA, courts across the nation continue to hear cases that could affect this work. Namely, these are cases related to state privacy laws.


HIPAA's "preemption" framework provides that state laws that are not contrary to HIPAA or that p....

Author: AHIMA Professional Practice Team

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: September 02, 2002

Q: A developmentally disabled adult was recently admitted to our hospital. The patient was accompanied by his older sister. The sister indicated her brother could not write but that he could draw an "X." Because the patient doesn't have a court-appointed guardian and his parents are deceased,....

Author: Roach, Michael C.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: September 02, 2002

Part two in a two-part series
This is the second of two articles on the subject of HIPAA preemption of state privacy law. This article will discuss some practical effects of the preemption rules and where covered entities might turn for assistance in addressing the question of preemptio....

Author: Friedman, Beth; Bahr, Dave

Source: AHIMA Convention

Publication Date: September 23, 2002

Author: Amatayakul, Margret; Brandt, Mary D.; Dennis, Jill Callahan

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

This practice brief has been retired. It is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Sullivan, Tori E.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

It's April 10, 2003, and a privacy officer is reviewing her policies for the imminent privacy regulations, title II of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. The compliance deadline is April 13, 2003, and she is already feeling stressed about meeting the date.....

Author: Talbot, Shawn; Yackell, Harriet

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: October 02, 2002

A facility shares its experience with informing and training its entire organization on the changes to the disclosure of patient information under HIPAA. Lessons learned are described.

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2002

Many HIM professionals will be called upon to perform an extraordinary feat during the next six months. They will be asked to bring one or more organizations into compliance with the HIPAA privacy rule by April 14, 2003. While this task is challenging in organizations that began such efforts a....

Author: AHIMA Professional Practice Team

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: October 2002

Because HIPAA gives patients the right to copy their medical records, does my facility have to supply a copy machine for this purpose or allow patients to take their records to a copy center?
According to section 164.520 of the HIPAA final privacy rule, an individual has "the right to inspect....

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: October 2002

How and Where Can I Obtain Copies of My State's Disclosure Laws?

My Physician Passed Away, and I'd Like to Know Where I Can Locate the Medical Records Originated at His/Her Office.

I Need to Locate Immunization Records for College and Am Unable to Locate My Physician. Wh....

Author: AHIMA Professional Practice Team

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: October 2002

Who can authorize the release of patient health information on behalf of a deceased patient?
The individual authorized to consent to the release of patient health information on behalf of a deceased patient varies by state.
Usually, the personal representative of a deceased patient (execu....

Author: AHIMA Professional Practice Team

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: October 2002

If the deceased patient had a sexually transmitted disease (STD) such as HIV, are the standards for release of information more rigid?
The release of patient records containing evidence of sexually transmitted disease is governed by state law. In the absence of state law to the contrary,....

Author: AHIMA Professional Practice Team

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: October 2002

Is the authority to consent to the disclosure of patient information different when it identifies the deceased as an alcohol or drug abuser?
The Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient Records regulation (42 CFR 2) applies to patient drug or alcohol abuse information obtained by....

Author: AHIMA Professional Practice Team

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: October 2002

How should we handle requests for birth information by adoptees?
Adoption is a statutory procedure governed entirely by state law.1 Although birth records are sealed, most states allow adoptees to get information about their birth parents but prohibit access to data that could be used to ident....

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: AHIMA sample form

Publication Date: October 23, 2002

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: AHIMA sample form

Publication Date: October 23, 2002

Author: AHIMA Staff

Source: AHIMA sample form

Publication Date: October 23, 2002

Survey



Name: ______________________________ Department: ___________________________

Title: ________________________________ Phone extension: ______________

Requesting Patient Health Information


1. Do you ever request patient health informa....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: October 2002

This practice brief has been updated. See the latest version here. This version is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Rhodes, Harry B.

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: October 2002

This practice brief has been updated. See the latest version here. This version is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Hjort, Beth M.

Source: AHIMA practice brief

Publication Date: October 2002

This practice brief appendix has been retired. It is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Malek, Linda A.; Krex, Brian

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: November 02, 2002

The privacy regulations promulgated pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (the privacy regulations) will clearly have a tremendous impact on most healthcare entities. However, the effect of the privacy regulations on mental health providers with respect t....

Author: Burrington-Brown, Jill

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: November 02, 2002

As the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) increases throughout the healthcare industry, many organizations are grappling with the application of appropriate policies and procedures for privately owned PDAs. A PDA is most generally used by a clinician as a reference because of its abili....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret; Johns, Merida L.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

Depending on how you count them, there are anywhere from 20 to 60 new policies, procedures, forms, and other related documents required by HIPAA. Its training requirements specify that all members of the work force must be trained on policies and procedures with respect to protected health inf....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

By now you know that amendments to the final privacy rule were published in the August 14, 2002, Federal Register. The amendments are intended to correct problems identified in the original privacy rule published on December 28, 2000.


This article presents a summary of some of....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA sample form

Publication Date: November 13, 2002

Sample notice describing how information about a patient may be used and disclosed and how the patient can get access to the information.

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2002

This practice brief has been updated. See the latest version here. This version is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Schade, Fred; Cottrell, Matthew

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: December 02, 2002

While healthcare organizations have spent considerable time analyzing the full effects of the accounting of disclosures (AOD) provision under HIPAA, confusion exists regarding the full scope of this provision. Compliance teams at covered entities (CEs) initially thought the accounting of disc....

Author: Rozen, Michael J.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: December 02, 2002

Consumers and patients are becoming increasingly and justifiably worried about the confidentiality of their personal information. Cases of prominent disclosures recently highlighted by the media have heightened the fear of abuse and discrimination from inappropriate disclosure of protected he....

Author: AHIMA Professional Practice Team

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: January 02, 2003

Q: When is it legal to disclose protected health information (PHI) to clergy?


A: If the individual is informed in advance of the possible disclosure and has the opportunity to object, the HIPAA privacy rule allows a covered entity to disclose directory information to clergy. Directo....

Author: Batterman, Christopher T.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: January 02, 2003

Few laws have created a bigger stir in the healthcare industry than HIPAA. While originally intended to simplify electronic transactions, HIPAA has broader implications. The need to ensure the privacy of medical information is a responsibility that touches most areas of the healthcare industr....

Author: AHIMA Professional Practice Team

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: January 02, 2003

Q: Is faxing patient information legal under HIPAA?
A: If the covered entity is permitted to release the information (for treatment purposes or by authorization, for example), then using a fax machine is allowed. The privacy rule requires the entity to provide appropriate administrative, techn....

Author: Apple, Gordon J.; Rozen, Michael J.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: January 02, 2003

We all make promises in life and live with the consequences when we are unable to keep them. Your organization’s privacy policy establishes an expectation with your patients or end-users about your information practices. It represents a public commitment. The majority of healthcare providers....

Author: AHIMA Professional Practice Team

Source: AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: January 02, 2003

Q: Does HIPAA allow clinicians in our home health facility to pull their own records?
A: Your facility must make a reasonable effort to limit the access of your clinicians to the PHI they need to perform their duties. You will have to determine what policies are reasonable. As employees, the c....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2003

HIPAA presents special challenges to providers who perform research. According to the Institute of Medicine, approximately 80,000 biomedical research studies using about 23 million volunteers are conducted per year. Most have some federal funding either through National Institutes of Health or....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2003

This practice brief has been updated. See the latest version here. This version is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Dunn, Rose T; Larson, Joan C.; Association of Health Information Outsourcing Services

Source: External - used with permission

Publication Date: January 02, 2003

....

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: In Confidence (newsletter) | AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: January 02, 2003

Question: Should photographs and videotapes be considered part of a healthcare provider’s designated record set?
Answer: The December 28, 2000, HIPAA privacy rule preamble explains that for covered healthcare providers, the designated record set (DRS) includes, at a minimum, the medical....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: AHIMA testimony and comments

Publication Date: January 06, 2003

January 6, 2003

Donald H. Rumsfeld
Secretary
Department of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000

Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary
Department of Health and Human Services
Room 615-F, Hubert H Humphrey Building
200 Independ....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2003

Background: It is customary for family members, legal guardians, and friends of patients at [name of hospital] to telephone the hospital, inquire in person about the condition of a patient, or to request other health information. Privacy regulations require that a patient’s identity or oth....

Author: Bowen, Rita K.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2003

Creating a process to handle patients’ requests for restrictions on the use or disclosure of their health information may be one of the last items on your HIPAA checklist. Here’s how to take care of it.

One of the benefits extended to patients under the HIPAA privacy rule i....

Author: Bowen, Rita K.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: February 02, 2003

As we continue to journey toward HIPAA readiness, a necessary step is identifying designated record sets (DRSs). DRSs are created to respond to patient requests concerning information used in making patient decisions. The definition of a DRS is any group of records (any item, collection, or g....

Author: Birnbaum, Cassi L

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2003

Does your organization have a policy in place for protecting patient health information (PHI) over the phone?


This article will discuss how a workgroup at Children’s Hospital and Health Center (CHHC) in San Diego, CA, implemented a policy to protect verbal PHI and how your....

Author:

Source: AHIMA web extra

Publication Date: February 02, 2003

Use one of the two approaches below to involve and educate staff on privacy issues. The second method uses a more structured approach.
1. Protected health information (PHI) is confidential information that includes a patient's identity and medical information. Identify instances where PHI....

Author: Burrington-Brown, Jill

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2003

This practice brief has been updated. See the latest version here. This version is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Burrington-Brown, Jill

Source: In Confidence (newsletter) | AHIMA Q and A

Publication Date: March 02, 2003

Question: May physicians’ offices or pharmacists leave messages for patients at their homes. Can providers mail appointment or prescription refill reminders to patient homes?
Answer: Yes. The rule does not prohibit covered entities (CEs) from leaving messages for patients on their answe....

Author: Harford, Joseph P.

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2003

None of these methods of disposal address healthcare organizations’ environmental or legal responsibilities. But how do you know if your organization is legally positioned to handle disposal of computer equipment? This article will address these concerns.

What Is Legal?
<....

Author: Hubbartt, William S.

Source: In Confidence (newsletter)

Publication Date: March 02, 2003

Over the past two years, health information managers have been involved in planning and implementing workplace changes in anticipation of the medical privacy requirements of HIPAA. One of those compliance requirements is to provide employee training.
Organizations subject to HIPAA must....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2003

Many providers are putting the finishing touches on their HIPAA privacy compliance activities—but may have overlooked their self-insured health plan or assumed that their third-party administrator (TPA) was taking care of HIPAA compliance. Now is the time to take a closer look at your sel....