HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), which is a federal law that was enacted in 1996. HIPAA has two main purposes:
To protect the privacy and security of individuals' health information: HIPAA establishes rules for how healthcare providers, health plans, and other covered entities must protect the privacy and security of individuals' health information, including medical records, test results, and other personal health information.
To ensure that individuals have access to their health information: HIPAA gives individuals the right to access and obtain copies of their own health information, as well as the right to request that their health information be corrected.
HIPAA applies to all healthcare providers, health plans, and other entities that handle individuals' health information, including hospitals, doctors' offices, insurance companies, and billing companies. The law requires covered entities to implement a range of administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect individuals' health information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.
HIPAA also establishes penalties for violations of the law, including fines and even criminal penalties in some cases.
HIPAA Training Requirements for Healthcare Employees
HIPAA requires that covered entities provide training on the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules to all members of their workforce who have access to protected health information (PHI). This includes employees, contractors, volunteers, and others who work with PHI.
The HIPAA training requirements for healthcare employees typically include the following:
General HIPAA Awareness Training
All employees who handle PHI must receive general training on the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. This training should cover the basic requirements of HIPAA, including the importance of protecting PHI and the consequences of violating HIPAA regulations.
Role-Specific Training
Employees who have specific job responsibilities related to PHI, such as billing or medical records management, may need additional training on the specific requirements that apply to their job.
Training on Organizational Policies and Procedures
Covered entities must have policies and procedures in place to ensure compliance with HIPAA. Employees must receive training on these policies and procedures, including how to report breaches of PHI and how to handle requests for access to PHI.
Regular Refresher Training
Covered entities must provide ongoing HIPAA training to employees, at least annually, to ensure that they stay up-to-date on the latest regulations and best practices.
Resources for HIPAA Training Program Development
If you are looking for government resources for HIPAA training programs, you may want to start with the following organizations:
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
The HHS has a website dedicated to HIPAA, which includes information on the HIPAA Privacy Rule, the HIPAA Security Rule, and the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule. The website also includes training resources and guidance documents for covered entities and business associates.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
The CMS has a HIPAA training module that provides an overview of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, the HIPAA Security Rule, and the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule. The module is designed for healthcare professionals, but it is also available to the public.
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
The OCR is responsible for enforcing the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. The OCR has a website that includes guidance documents, training resources, and tools to help covered entities and business associates comply with HIPAA.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
The NIST has published several guidelines related to the HIPAA Security Rule, including the NIST SP 800-66 Revision 1, An Introductory Resource Guide for Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule.
The National HIPAA Summit
The National HIPAA Summit is an annual conference that brings together healthcare professionals, government officials, and other stakeholders to discuss HIPAA compliance issues. The conference includes sessions on HIPAA training, as well as updates on new regulations and enforcement activities.
About LMS Portals
At LMS Portals, we provide our clients and partners with a SaaS-based, multi-tenant learning management system that allows you to launch a dedicated training environment (a portal) for each of your unique audiences.
The system includes an embedded course authoring tool that enables most anyone to build engaging courses quickly and easily.
We offer a complete library of ready-made corporate training courses, including HIPAA Awareness training. So you can build your own courses, utilize our off-the-shelf library, or some combination of the two.
If you choose to, you can create Learning Paths to deliver courses in a logical progression and add structure to your training program. The system also supports Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) and provides tools for online coaching and social learning.
Contact us today to get started or visit our Partner Program pages