This document discusses HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and the importance of protecting patient privacy and confidentiality. It defines what HIPAA is, what protected health information (PHI) and sensitive information are, and how this information can be handled or mishandled. Effective HIPAA training is important to educate employees on privacy laws, how to avoid mishandling confidential information, and the importance of upholding patient privacy and confidentiality.

1. Confidentiality
ARLICIA KENDRICK
JULY 24, 2014

2. What is HIPAA
 HIPAA is the health insurance portability and accountability act. This law
basically protects any and all personal information on a federal level. “It is
protections for individually identifiable health information held by covered
entities and their business associates and gives patients an array of rights
with respect to that information. At the same time, the Privacy Rule is
balanced so that it permits the disclosure of health information needed for
patient care and other important purposes”, (U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services).
http://www.hhs.gov

3. HIPAA TRAINING CLASS
 Educate on the importance of HIPAA
 Educate on the responsibility of protecting patient privacy
 Educate on how to recognize situations in which confidential information
can be mishandled and what to do to avoid it
 Educate on HIPAA identifiers that create protected health information
(PHI)
 Educate on the ways to protect the privacy and security of sensitive
information including (PHI)
http://www.unc.edu

4. What is PHI
 PHI is any information that can be used to identify a patient, whether living
or deceased, that relates to the patient’s past, present, or future physical
or mental health or condition, including healthcare services provided and
payment for those services, (http://www.unc.ed)

5. What is Sensitive Information
 Social Security Number
 Driver License Number
 Address
 Credit Card Number
 Date of Birth
 Research Data
 Test Result

6. Forms of Sensitive Information
 Paper is way sensitive information can be handled or mishandled
 Word of mouth: not being discreet when discussing a patient information
 Electronically, i.e.: text message or EHR

7. Effective Training
 The way that this training can be effective is by providing the employees
with the skills to be a better employee, help them with improving quality
care, keep the employees updated on all the latest laws and how to
handle sensitive personal information, help the employees to recognized
when the privacy policy is been violated, and lastly teaching the
employees the importance of not violating the HIPAA law.

8. Conclusion
 It is very important that we assure the patient’s that their personal
information will not be disclosed to anyone other than authorized
personnel. Upholding the HIPAA law to the full instinct can improve the
quality of care. Patient’s want to rest assure that the facility they are in will
not be stealing or peeking at their private information. Knowing and
understanding the HIPAA law is the key.

9. References
 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (n.d.), Understanding
Health Information Privacy, http://www.hhs.gov, retrieved: July 24, 2014
 Welcome to the HIPAA, Privacy & Security Training Module, (October 2,
2013), http://www.unc.edu, retrieved: July 24, 2014