Category Archives: HIPAA compliance

HIPAA Compliance and Working From Home

HIPAA Compliance and Working From Home When businesses choose to have their employees work from home there is a lot to consider, especially if those businesses work with protected health information (PHI). HIPAA compliance and working from home can be a difficult feat, as HIPAA Privacy Rule and Security Rule standards must be upheld. HIPAA… Read More »

HIPAA for Home Health Care

HIPAA for Home Health Care Home health care workers face HIPAA compliance issues not typically encountered by health care workers work in hospitals and medical offices. HIPAA home health care compliance issues include those posed by visiting patients in their homes, or checking on patients’ well-being via phone or video. What are Home Health Care… Read More »

Can a HIPAA-Covered Entity Use or Disclose PHI for Litigation?

A HIPAA-covered entity may use or disclose protected health information (PHI) for litigation, as permitted or required by the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Subject to certain conditions, the HIPAA Privacy Rule typically permits uses and disclosures of PHI for litigation, whether the litigation takes the form of a judicial proceeding or an administrative proceeding. When May… Read More »

Is SharePoint HIPAA Compliant?

Is SharePoint HIPAA Compliant? SharePoint’s collaboration features make it one of the most used platforms for fortune 500 companies, with 78% using the web-based document management and storage system. As a Microsoft product, SharePoint integrates easily with Microsoft Office. The powerful platform is particularly appealing for healthcare organizations as SharePoint can establish a base for… Read More »

OCR Announces HIPAA Desk Audits for Business Associates

Starting in November, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is slated to begin HIPAA compliance desk audits for business associates. This is just the beginning of OCR’s ongoing push for a permanent HIPAA audit program, which will kick into higher gear come 2017. OCR first began its Phase… Read More »

HIPAA Roundup: Pharmacy Settlements and OCR Investigations

Over the past few years, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has considerably ramped-up its enforcement efforts for HIPAA violations. Pharmacies have continued to be hit with OCR investigations and massive fines for breaches of protected health information (PHI). These investigations are often initiated for minor privacy or… Read More »

Is Apple Finally Entering the HIPAA Game?

For years, Apple has notoriously avoided stepping into the burgeoning HIPAA-compliant health-tech market. Its peers–tech giants the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and FitBit–have all willingly begun signing Business Associate Agreements (BAAs), allowing their products and services to be used across the health care industry to store, transmit, or create protected health information (PHI). So… Read More »