Author: Rollins, Genna

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 2011

Despite the rise of health IT, healthcare providers still face daily privacy and security risks of the mundane variety—paper records are misplaced, improperly disclosed, or released without confidential information redacted. No matter the opportunities and risks that technology bring....

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: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2005

Now that we’re well entrenched in compliance with the privacy rule and headed toward the electronic health record (EHR), the personal health record (PHR), and regional health information organizations (RHIOs), amendments may seem like a mundane topic. But, as this article explains, it is....

Author: Burton, Ben; Downing, Katherine

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2017

Editor’s Note: This Practice Brief update supplants part of the 2013 Practice Brief “Patient Access and Amendment to Health Records.”


Before April 2003, a patient’s legal right to amend his or her health records was limited to those patients treated at hea....

Author: Butler, Mary

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: August 01, 2016

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has taken many steps to try and clear up consumer confusion regarding the more consumer-centric aspects of HIPAA’s Privacy Rule and Security Rule. The most recent efforts include the Office of the National Coordinator’s Patien....

Author: AHIMA Work Group

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2014

Covered entities should already have in place the mechanisms for limiting PHI under minimum necessary policies and procedures. This Practice Brief provides guidance to assist organizations in complying with the 2013 HITECH-HIPAA Omnibus Rule’s new disclosure restriction requirements.

Author: Hughes, Gwen

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: October 2001

The HIPAA final privacy rule requires that covered entities allow individuals to access the medical and billing records maintained about them. However, the rule describes 10 exceptions. Accordingly, healthcare providers must establish a way to identify the medical and billing records....

Author: Wiedemann, Lou Ann

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: March 2011

Managing third-party requests for health information is a routine function for every HIM department. HIM professionals regularly receive record requests from third parties for a variety of reasons, such as revenue integrity audits or admission validation reviews.

Historically, fulfi....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: September 2004

An unfortunate result of the HIPAA privacy rule is the emerging use of HIPAA as a gatekeeper, restricting the appropriate fl ow of protected health information (PHI). HIPAA is being cited as a reason not to disclose information without patient permission when needed for treatment, payment, or....

Author: Amatayakul, Margret

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2001

If your physicians’ attitude toward patients requesting to amend their medical record is "I’d tell them to take a hike and then call my attorney," your environment is not unique. These words, in fact, are the verbatim response of a physician upon hearing the HIPAA privacy r....