Organizational policy alignment and adherence to laws and regulations are critical for overall corporate compliance and to decrease organizational risks (patient falls, medication errors, cyber hacks and PHI data breaches, infection control, et cetera). In this assignment, you will select, evaluate, and update one health care provider's policy related to a significant regulatory risk to the health care organization.
If you do not work in the industry or do not have access to a health care policy, use the Hahnemann Falls PolicyLinks to an external site. to complete this assignment, following these instructions:
As you can see, this policy was written in 2012. Now, imagine you are a health care administrator working at the health care organization where this policy originates from.
Analyze the policy, taking into consideration the changes in HIPAA and PHI since 2012.
Evaluate what information and where that information would need to be updated for a current revision of this document.
Locate the areas where you would update or add information to this 2012 version. Propose revisions that are based on current identified standards and/or new guidelines that you have researched in the text or identified in other high-quality sources (that is, journals, government websites, and the like).
Analyze the significance of the selected policy updates as it relates to potential litigation. (Why did the policy need updating? What threats do these changes help avoid?)
Summarize your perspective on the revisions as well as any additional changes that should be considered.
Sample Solution
The Hahnemann Falls Policy on the Protection of PHI was written in 2012. Since then, there have been significant changes in HIPAA and PHI regulations. This executive summary outlines the updates that need to be made to the policy in order to ensure compliance with current regulations.
Full Answer Section
most significant changes that need to be made to the policy are:
The definition of PHI has been expanded to include more types of information.
The rules for permissible uses and disclosures of PHI have been tightened.
The requirements for security of PHI have been strengthened.
These changes are significant because they help to protect the privacy of patient health information. They also help to reduce the risk of litigation for health care organizations that fail to comply with HIPAA regulations.
In addition to the changes outlined above, there are a few other areas where the policy could be updated. For example, the policy could be more specific about the procedures for responding to security incidents. It could also be more clear about the roles and responsibilities of different staff members in protecting PHI.
Overall, the updates to the Hahnemann Falls Policy on the Protection of PHI are necessary to ensure compliance with current regulations. These updates will help to protect the privacy of patient health information and reduce the risk of litigation for the organization.
Analysis of the Policy
The Hahnemann Falls Policy on the Protection of PHI is a comprehensive document that addresses the key aspects of protecting patient health information. The policy covers topics such as the definition of PHI, permissible uses and disclosures of PHI, security of PHI, and procedures for responding to security incidents.
The policy is well-written and easy to understand. It is also clear that the policy was developed with the input of a variety of stakeholders, including staff members, patients, and legal counsel.
However, the policy is now outdated in some respects. The definition of PHI has been expanded since the policy was written, and the rules for permissible uses and disclosures of PHI have been tightened. The requirements for security of PHI have also been strengthened.
As a result, the policy needs to be updated to reflect these changes. The updates should be made in a way that does not compromise the overall quality of the policy.
Updates to the Policy
The following are some of the updates that need to be made to the Hahnemann Falls Policy on the Protection of PHI:
The definition of PHI should be updated to reflect the changes that have been made since the policy was written.
The rules for permissible uses and disclosures of PHI should be updated to reflect the changes that have been made since the policy was written.
The requirements for security of PHI should be updated to reflect the changes that have been made since the policy was written.
The procedures for responding to security incidents should be made more specific.
The roles and responsibilities of different staff members in protecting PHI should be made more clear.
Significance of the Updates
The updates to the Hahnemann Falls Policy on the Protection of PHI are significant because they help to protect the privacy of patient health information. They also help to reduce the risk of litigation for health care organizations that fail to comply with HIPAA regulations.
The expanded definition of PHI means that more types of information are now protected by HIPAA. This means that health care organizations need to be more careful about how they handle this information.
The tightened rules for permissible uses and disclosures of PHI mean that health care organizations have less flexibility in how they can use this information. This means that organizations need to be more careful about their compliance with HIPAA regulations.
The strengthened requirements for security of PHI mean that health care organizations need to take more steps to protect this information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. This means that organizations need to invest in security measures such as encryption, firewalls, and access controls.
Conclusion
The updates to the Hahnemann Falls Policy on the Protection of PHI are necessary to ensure compliance with current regulations. These updates will help to protect the privacy of patient health information and reduce the risk of litigation for the organization.
I recommend that the updates be made to the policy as soon as possible. The sooner the updates are made, the sooner the organization can be confident that it is in compliance with current regulations.
In addition to the updates outlined above, I recommend that the policy be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that it remains up-to-date with the latest regulations.
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