What You Need to Know About HIPAA Training During COVID-19

20 Jul

What You Need to Know About HIPAA Training During COVID-19

By HIPAA Exams

We all know that the HIPAA privacy rule is strict. Your teams need HIPAA training to make sure they know the law to avoid violations and the huge fines that come with them. A complete guide can be found at What is HIPAA Training?

The coronavirus pandemic likely put a spanner in your training plans. Not only are healthcare teams exceptionally busy dealing with both the virus and the knock-on effects, but your planned seminars are largely off the table. You can't afford to have staff who aren't exposed to the virus mingle with those who are.

Although HIPAA enforcement may be discretionary during this time, protecting patient privacy and securing your organization's data isn't any less important. It may even be more important in the face of the pandemic. Here's how you can continue to uphold the law as you navigate the next few months.

How to Run HIPAA Training in the Time of Coronavirus

Many facets of the response to the virus changed our systems for working. From sharing data with new departments and agencies to seeing patients remotely, your teams may be asked to complete tasks that they haven't done before or in many years.

As an administrator and leader, your job is to give them the training to do their jobs safely and securely without impeding the care they provide.

Here are just two of the topics HIPAA training during coronavirus should cover.

Sharing Data during the Pandemic

Covered entities may share coronavirus data with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), but they must do so safely. Your coronavirus training should not only cover minimizing the spread of coronavirus and handling COVID-19 but also the reporting obligations.

You canÂ find the CDC's guidance here.

Protecting Data when Using Telehealth

The second of these issues challenging HIPAA is the growing use of telehealth. Governments in the U.S. have tried to combat the spread of the virus by using digital products like telehealth, social contact tracking, and mobile location data. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also allowed this, even in areas where the government previously considered telehealth to be inappropriate.

If your organization is now using or providing telehealth or related services, then it's important to provide HIPAA training. And if you're a covered entity looking for a business associate to provide these services, be sure to request that they have HIPAA training and can provide evidence of HIPAA compliance.

Get Your Training Done Online

Coronavirus may be eating up healthcare resources, but HIPAA remains important. Meeting HIPAA standards isn't just about avoiding fines. It also protects patients' data and your integrity. Remember, the HIPAA security rule is designed to help you - not inconvenience you.

Few organizations have the capacity to run group training sessions right now. So why not run your HIPAA training sessions online? HIPAA Exams is the most trusted source in HIPAA training. When you subscribe to our courses, you get access to the full learning management system, including reporting, tracking, and yearly reminders, so you can focus on what's important: saving lives.