Question

using this case study create a memorandum

The year is 1996, and you are the Health Information Management Systems (HIMS) Director for Steel Toe Regional Hospital in Pleasant, Texas. This is a small rural hospital where members of the leadership team have a tendency to take on a number of collateral duties. In addition to being the HIMS Director, you are also doubling of the Compliance Officer. The organization is preparing for the implementation of the recently enacted Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). You have been tasked by the Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Dana Foster, to examine the potential impact the law will have on the organization, and then present a recommendation on how best to ensure the hospital is prepared to come into full compliance with the law.  

You are expected to prepare a recommendation on what actions the hospital should undertake in order to ensure that it comes into compliance with the Act. As you prepare to formulate your recommendation, you may want to consider your answers to the following questions:

1. What is the overall purpose and intent of the Act?

2. What are the key provisions within the Act?

3. What prompted the passage of the Act?

4. What policies and procedures have other hospitals put in place to comply with the Act?

5. Can hospitals do less than the law requires?

6. Can hospitals do more than the law requires?

7. What are the consequences for not complying with the Act?

8. What challenges have hospitals experienced complying with the Act?

9. What are the estimated costs (direct and indirect) associated with coming into compliance with the Act?

Answer 1

Answer: HIPAA mainly focus on the providing safety and privacy to the health information of the patient. It is a set of standard which is mainly design to prevent the misuse or leakage of any health care information. The privacy should be maintained while documenting the PHI as the violation of this would cause serious action. This has improved the use of electronic health records as it reduces health disparities.