HIPAA, OSHA and your Medical Practice

Some things about HIPAA and OSHA that you need to know in today’s medical practice, or when you are opening a new practice.

The most important Aspect of HIPAA is the privacy protection act.
The HIPAA privacy rule went into effect on April 14, 2003 for “covered entities”
“Physician practice is almost always a covered entity, subject to the HIPAA Privacy Rule.” As such, the practice must implement
The Privacy rule applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers. It applies to employers to the extent when they operate in one or more of those capacities.

Your medical practice should have:

• Notice of Privacy – to advise patients about the practice’s HIPAA compliance policies.
• Preset agreements with outside entities that will need access to client information, while providing services on the behalf of the practice.
• You must maintain a system to handle patient information, providing security of patient information in physical and/or electronic form.
• Establish a system that allows patients access to their records.
• Establish a process for patients to use in filing complaints and for dealing with complaints.

These are just some of the things to think about when it comes to HIPAA.

OSHA ensures safe and healthful workplace.

The parctice manager/owner has to make sure that the staff knows where/what your emergency procedures are.

On the list should be Emergency exits, Emergency Phone Numbers, First Aid, All the Required Posters(HAZ-Mat, Hazards, Fire Extinguishers …)

Your staff should know where the nearest eyewash station is, and they should be educated in sterileparctices and decontamination procedures.

We recomend speaking to a healthcare consultant, or an occupational safety & health consultant about these procedures.

Posted by a Practice Management Consultant at Real Practice Solutions, LLC. in New York.
We specialize in making your practice work more efficiently and more profitably.

http://www.realpracticesolutions.com