Trust is vital to healthcare and positive patient outcomes. Patients trust medical professionals to handle their information with utmost care and respect for privacy, and the same is true for non-licensed healthcare support teams. This is where HIPAA compliance for non-licensed healthcare staff comes in.
All healthcare providers and their non-licensed call center teams must follow the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
HIPAA provides seamless service delivery and lessens the costs associated with operations. It’s a set of standards that ensures healthcare providers, medical personnel, and even non-licensed healthcare call center teams handle patient data securely to protect confidentiality. It also gives healthcare facilities a standardized system for data protection.
HIPAA compliance concerns everyone involved in the patient journey. This obligation extends to outsourced call center teams, where staff handles patient information.
Healthcare BPO partners must equip themselves with the capabilities to meet compliance requirements and combat evolving data security risks.
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This blog focuses on understanding the relevance of HIPAA regulations to non-licensed staff operations. It will also provide some essential training practices for continuous regulatory compliance.
Understanding HIPAA Regulations
HIPAA exists to uphold patients’ rights.
Security violations can pose heavy consequences for any patient, and HIPAA helps patients gain more control over their data.
HIPAA’s rules ensure that providers remain accountable and safeguard information by imposing criminal penalties on any violator.
But how can non-licensed staff become equipped to handle protected health information (PHI)? It starts with understanding HIPAA regulations and what they require.
HIPAA Compliance for Non-Licensed Healthcare Staff: 3 Requirements
Three HIPAA rules are relevant to a healthcare call center team’s role in the patient journey:
1. The Privacy Rule
Without regulation, a patient’s medical information is prone to mishandling.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule addresses mishandling risks by establishing national standards for using and disclosing a patient’s PHI. It guarantees patients control over their medical information without limiting healthcare operations. The rule also includes rights for individuals to acquire, transmit, and make necessary corrections to their health data.
2. The Security Rule
Electronic data is even more vulnerable to cybersecurity risks in this advanced digital age.
HIPAA’s Security Rule focuses on protecting patients’ electronic personal health information (ePHI). It requires relevant healthcare entities to implement security measures to maintain ePHI privacy, integrity, and safety.
3. The Breach Notification Rule
Transparency is paramount in the event of a security breach.
HIPAA’s Breach Notification Rule maintains patients’ rights to know when their medical information is compromised. It requires covered entities to notify patients of unauthorized usage or disclosure of their data, which may come through media and individual notices.
Furthermore, covered entities must notify the US Department of Health and Human Services of breaches.
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HIPAA Compliance for Non-Licensed Healthcare Staff: Best Practices
Understanding HIPAA regulations is only the first step to protecting patient information. Actual HIPAA compliance is more than just knowing the rules.
Non-licensed staff must adhere consistently to compliance standards, which requires extensive training.
Compliance Standards To Include in Your Non-Licensed Staff Training Program
Here are some of the best compliance practices to reinforce when training non-licensed staff:
Identify PHI and ePHI in Different Formats.
Healthcare call center staff will handle patient information in different formats, including paper and electronic forms. Agents without proper training can easily mishandle patient information. Thus, healthcare BPO partners must train their staff to handle different documents according to confidentiality standards.
Implement Secure Communication Protocols.
Your staff must be careful when handling patient information, whether in speech or email.
Train your staff to follow security protocols to avoid risks when transmitting PHI or ePHI by implementing rules that prevent public discussion of patient data and encryption requirements when exchanging digital information.
Handle and Dispose of Personal Health Information Properly.
Protecting a patient’s health information covers the PHI’s whole lifecycle.
This standard means that staff must follow security protocols even during disposal. Without proper disposal procedures, healthcare providers run the possibility of unauthorized access.
Proper PHI handling and disposal help prevent fraud or accidental disclosures.
Secure disposal methods are welcome additions to your training program. One easy yet highly effective method is shredding patient documents.
Conducting Regular Risk Assessments and HIPAA Audits
Ensuring HIPAA compliance also requires continuous evaluations of your healthcare call center operations. You can conduct this through risk management and regular audits.
Here are some ways non-licensed staff can contribute:
Risk Assessments
Healthcare call center staff must understand the risks associated with their daily tasks. They need to escalate any potential concerns to the designated compliance officers.
Regular risk assessments can help you find and fix security flaws early, preventing costly data disasters. These assessments allow organizations to install safeguards to reduce data security risks.
HIPAA Audits
Non-licensed staff also have a role in ensuring successful HIPAA audits. It starts with adhering to policies and procedures expected of them. Staff can also help by documenting their activities and addressing identified deficiencies.
Outsourcing Solutions That Put Patients First
Full HIPAA compliance isn’t a one-and-done goal.
Instead, it’s a continuous cycle of applying best practices to ensure patient information stays safe and secure. In the healthcare industry, your business’ integrity determines your success. When building a healthcare support team, look for a partner who understands the value of compliance more than anything else.
ClearSource is a leading BPO partner with expertise in healthcare compliance.
For years, we’ve delivered exceptional solutions to many of our healthcare partners. Our comprehensive and supportive non-licensed staff training and processes guarantee the security of patient information.
Learn how we can empower your healthcare organization with unparalleled patient support. Set up a call with one of our experts today!
