HIPAA establishes standards to protect patients' private health information and maintain its confidentiality. To improve confidentiality, a health care organization should train all staff on HIPAA laws regarding privacy, have them sign confidentiality agreements, and conduct regular reviews of privacy policies and penalties for violations. Repeated training through posting privacy laws and quarterly reviews is key to ensuring compliance. Violations can result in fines up to $1.5 million depending on the nature of the infraction.

1. Confidentiality
How to Improve the Confidentiality of a Health Care Organization
Health Care Capstone: MHA690
Professor Hwang-Ji Lu
Andrea Middleton

2. http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/laws/hipaa/Pages/1.00WhatisHIPAA.aspx
HIPAA
(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act)
 Ability to transfer/continue health insurance coverage for Americans and families when they
change or lose their job
 Reduces health care fraud and abuse
 Industry-wide standards for healthcare information on electronic billing and other process
 protection and confidential handling of protected health information

3. HIPAA Violation
HIPAA
Violation
Minimum
Penalty
Maximum
Penalty
Willful neglect and
is not corrected
within required
time period
$50,000 per
violation, with an
annual maximum
of $1.5 million
$50,000 per
violation, with an
annual maximum
of $1.5 million

4. Training! Training! Training!
Train the
Staff

5. Training the
Staff
HIPAA laws
Privacy Act of 1974 (US Dept of Health and
Human Services
Technology review with Information Security
team
Sign confidentiality agreement
Disciplinary plan for Violation of rules

6. Repetition is
Key
Post Privacy Laws
in staff break room
Quarterly Review
of Privacy Laws &
penalties
Re-Signing of the
confidentiality
agreement on a
yearly basis

7. References
 https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/hipaa-violations-
enforcement
 https://www.hhs.gov/foia/privacy/index.html
 http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/laws/hipaa/Pages/1.00WhatisHIPAA.a
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