HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)training courses are offered by a large number of health care training companies so there is plenty to choose from. However, not all HIPAA training course are proficient and not all of them contain every necessary topic. There are certain principles, or guidelines, that any HIPAA training module should follow to ensure that trainees truly comprehend the Accountability Act. Read below to find out what these principles are.
Introduction
In the introductory portion of the HIPAA training course, attendees should learn a few things about the statutory and regulatory background of the act, the goals HIPAA strives to achieve, a short overview of Privacy Rule regulations and, in case it is a HIPAA advanced course, a summary of the Security Rule principles. This portion of the training course should help trainees get familiarized with the terms used throughout the course and prepare them for more detailed information surrounding HIPAA.
Covered Entities
The phrase "covered entities" regarding HIPAA requirements has been a subject of controversy ever since the enactment of the law. This is why any proficient HIPAA training course should have a section detailing the various entities which fall under the Privacy Rule so that attendees truly understand what the term comprises. This section of the course should also provide a definition of the term "business associates" and the requirements they have to comply with when performing health care activities on behalf of the above mentioned covered entities.
Protected Health Information (PHI)
This section of HIPAA training should deal with detailing what kind of PHI falls under Privacy or Security Rule regulations. Attendees will learn what PHI includes,how they can use PHI, and how much they are allowed to disclose under these two rules. The training program should detail both what each individual staff member is supposed to do and what administrative safeguards management has to impose to secure the safety and privacy of PHI. Trainees should also find out who they have to contact if they wish to report a misconduct incident.
Policies, Procedures, Enforcement, and Penalties
After presenting the minimum requirements of the Privacy and Securing Rules, HIPAA training should focus on describing the exact policies and procedures health care workers have to follow. The training course should also detail how organizations should enforce these two rules and provide a list of penalties for anyone who does not comply.
Compliance and On-going Programs
Ending the HIPAA training course should be a section where trainees learn what each institution affected by HIPAA regulations should do to make sure they are complying with the legislations. For example, creating compliance programs to ensure that all employees are in tune with privacy rules or designating privacy and security officers that can overview the company's compliance.
These are the key topics any proficient HIPAA training course should cover. If you are looking to attend this type of training module, first make sure that the course you want to enroll in deals with all these very important principles.
