HIPAA Meaning in the Healthcare Industry

Introduction

When you visit a doctor for the treatment of any ailment, you expect your doctor and his/her associates to preserve your medical records. You provide information not just regarding your health but other things like your telephone number, address and even your social security number.

Before the advent of computers, this information was stored manually but now it is done so digitally. With so much information available and transferred digitally, it is essential to safeguard the confidentiality and privacy of a patient. This is where HIPAA comes in.

HIPAA Meaning

By definition, the meaning of HIPAA is Health Information Portability and Accountability Act. The Office of Civil Rights of the United States government enforced it and it was enacted in 1996. The meaning of HIPAA in healthcare is that the medical insurance is portable. Employees leaving one job for the other have the right to take their medical insurance. In addition, people have access to the insurance despite having some medical conditions.

The Privacy Rule of HIPAA protects the rights of the patient in the sense that the health information is protected from going into the hands of unauthorized or incompetent personnel.

Who must follow the HIPAA?

As per the meaning of HIPAA, it must be complied with by all the medical providers and those that are transmitting patient information, paying for a patient’s healthcare and those that handle the medical records of a patient. In all, everyone responsible for the information of the patient must follow the rules of HIPAA.

Importance of HIPAA for Healthcare Organizations

The importance of HIPAA for healthcare organizations lies in the fact that they need to educate their employees to handle the patient information carefully. Once the system is in place and complied with, there are no hassles. Moreover, once the standard has been fixed, feeding in information and sharing the vital patient information for better medical care provision becomes easier.

Importance of HIPAA for Patients

HIPAA has proved to be a boon for patients especially those that wish to have more control over their medical reports and records. Despite all the care and precautions taken by healthcare personnel taken while feeding in information, there can be mistakes. Patients are treated and charged as per these reports.

When patients have access to their medical health records they can get the mistakes rectified. Having access to these reports also helps them when they wish to take the services of a new healthcare organization. They will not have to get the tests repeated and the healthcare providers have access to their medical history.

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