Reasonable Safeguards – the Myth
You may have heard the myth that the Health Information Act (HIA) is a big scary thing that will interrupt your routine, rob you of countless billable hours, impact all of your staff, turn your office inside out, and change the way that you run your entire business!
Myth Buster
The HIA provides structure and framework for reasonable safeguards that apply to any healthcare business.
One of the requirements of reasonable safeguards includes having a privacy awareness training plan.
Privacy Awareness Training
Your Privacy Awareness Training Plan should include learning objectives throughout the year, including
- Orientation – Standardized training curriculum provided to everyone in you healthcare practice at the time of employment. This is often included during a new employee’s orientation period.
- Specific – Privacy training that is more detailed and specific to the roles and responsibilities of that individual’s job in your healthcare practice. There may also be specific training when new software, technology, or procedures are introduced anytime throughout the employment.
- Reward – Keep privacy awareness top of mind all year long. Recognize and reward when individuals follow privacy principles that also add value to your client satisfaction or business efficiency.
It is reasonable to expect regular privacy awareness training, especially at orientation, and a formal review annually.
What a Privacy Awareness Training Plan Can Do For You
When you implement regular privacy awareness training, you will see:
- Privacy and security expectations clearly communicated among your team.
- Team members demonstrate their commitment to privacy, confidentiality, security of personal health information.
- Efficient practices that protect the privacy and save you time and money
- Team members confidently and correctly handle personal health information using reasonable safeguards
Are You a Myth-Buster?
You can be a myth-buster, too, and implement privacy awareness training in your healthcare practice.
You can easily implement reasonable safeguards and meet HIA requirements to ensure privacy, confidentiality, and security of health information that saves you time, frustration and money.
If you need a little help, I have written a practical privacy awareness training course designed for the community health care practice. This is ideal for orientation of new employees and a refresher for the rest of us.
Privacy Awareness in Healthcare: Essentials
Understand basic health care privacy principles and how to handle personal information, use safeguards, and recognize and report a privacy breach. Ideal for Alberta- and Ontario-based health care professionals and staff, direct care providers, or anyone working with a health care or social services organization.
Privacy Awareness in Healthcare: Essentials
Grab your on-line course from Information Managers and Corridor Interactive for just $25 per person now!
