Although the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act mandates that training be offered to workers of Covered Entities (CEs) and Business Associates (Bas), the Act's wording is restricted concerning what kind of training should be provided.
This is because HIPAA regulates a wide variety of businesses, and the HIPAA training needs of one business (a healthcare provider, for example) would naturally vary from those of another business (i.e., a healthcare clearing house).
The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires training “when required and appropriate for workforce members to carry out their tasks” and “functions are impacted by a major change in policies or procedures.” According to the Security Rule, CEs must also “develop a security awareness and training programs for all members of the workforce.”
Unfortunately, misunderstanding may be caused by a lack of specificity about what would be covered in a HIPAA training session. Despite the absence of specific guidelines, CE and BAs may be punished by the Office for Civil Rights if a PHI breach occurs and personnel wasn't fully taught on HIPAA-compliant policies and procedures (OCR).
In this, we will be going through everything you can expect from a HIPPA Training Course at defensorum.com/hipaa-training/.
HIPAA Training Aims and Objectives
The need to conduct frequent risk assessments to determine the responsibility of each employee regarding protected health information (PHI) cannot be overstated in preventing preventable breaches. The goal of HIPAA Training is to ensure that every employee is aware of the standards of HIPAA and can execute their work in a HIPAA-compliant way. CEs and BAs can identify what training is suitable for each employee's function based on an analysis of the risk assessments.
Organizing and delivering training is an involved and time-consuming process. But, it must be done. Investing in training will assist staff in accomplishing their jobs, preserve patient privacy, and show regulators that you must have taken HIPAA compliance seriously.
A Synopsis of HIPAA Training for Compliance
Due to the vague nature of the HIPAA law's language, CEs and their business partners are free to develop any training programs they see fit. Basic training is required to avoid unauthorized disclosures of PHI, but further, more extensive training should be customized to the specific responsibilities of each employee.
HIPAA Training FAQs
Who is in charge of coordinating HIPAA education in a healthcare setting?
The organizing of HIPAA training is the duty of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Officers. At the same time, it should be a collaborative effort incorporating nursing management, HR, and IT – particularly when a new policy, method, or technology is deployed. When the HHS provides new HIPAA guidelines, it may be necessary to bring outside experts to offer training.
Does every staff member get the same HIPAA training?
While all HIPAA training courses should cover the Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, training should be tailored to ensure that each staff member can perform their duties in conformity with HIPAA.
How often should CEs and BAs undertake risk analyses?
When a policy, method, or technology is updated, it is important to do a risk assessment to establish any potential effects on HIPAA compliance. The risk assessment findings should be analyzed (and the analysis documented) so that CEs and BAs may decide whether or not to provide extra training.
Does it make sense to teach BAs and CEs on HIPAA at the same rate?
The frequency of HIPAA training should be “as required” since BAs have the same HIPAA training requirements as CEs to ensure that their staff can fulfill activities in a HIPAA-compliant way. However, although the training duties remain the same, a BA will probably have a less diversified staff than a CE, and handling the training needs should be easier.
In what time frame must training records be kept?
HIPAA requires that any records pertaining to the law be kept for six years after they have been accessed. All risk evaluations, analyses, course materials, and records of who attended and when must be kept for six years. If CE created a training course in 2015 and updated it in 2019, that course's original materials must be kept in use until 2025.
In what time frame must HIPAA compliance training be completed?
A person's HIPAA training is, in principle, never done. Staff employees need to be retrained anytime there is an update to HIPAA rules, policies, procedures, or technology to ensure that the updated rules, policies, procedures, or technology are implemented to protect patient privacy. Additionally, there has to be persistent security awareness training.
When is HIPAA training needs to be repeated?
It is important to provide HIPAA training frequently to ensure that noncompliance does not become institutionalized. The danger of a HIPAA violation may be reduced by taking advantage of online refresher training courses, which are useful since many Covered Entities lack the resources to give HIPAA training regularly.
Why do we require HIPAA training?
Employees need HIPAA training to safeguard patient information from inappropriate access properly. Training should thus include not just the rules and processes but also the rationale behind them and the repercussions of HIPAA breaches for businesses, their personnel, and patients.
How often does HIPAA training need to be repeated, and in which states?
Neither Covered Entities nor Business Associates are required by law to provide HIPAA training at this time. However, the Defense Health Agency mandates that all employees get yearly training on the Privacy Act and HIPAA privacy regulations. Some states have privacy laws that override HIPAA and have special training requirements.
Is there a time limit on HIPAA training?
Unless a change in policies and procedures changes your function, a need for further training is discovered in risk analysis, or you move employment and start working for a Covered Entity or Business Associate with different policies and procedures than your prior employer, any HIPAA training is given by a Covered Entity, or Business Associate will remain valid and in effect. If your company receives a remedial action order from the Office for Civil Rights, you may be required to complete extra training.
How long do employers have to give new hires to finish their HIPAA training?
Covered Entities must ensure that all new hires get HIPAA training “within a reasonable length of time after the individual joins the Covered Entity's employment,” preferably before they are exposed to Protected Health Information (PHI). HIPAA mandates that a Business Associate's new workers undergo a security and awareness training program before their exposure to electronic protected health information (ePHI) but does not specify when this training must occur.
HIPAA privacy training documentation must be kept for how long?
All records covered by HIPAA must be kept for at least six years after the occurrence(s) they record. Employees who certify to have undergone Privacy Rule training in 2018 but do not take refresher training until 2021 must keep their original attestation on file until 2027. The same premise applies when an employee receives a promotion, undergoes a risk assessment, receives a corrective action order, or undergoes any other event that necessitates extra privacy training.
Is there a specific kind of HIPAA training that leads to official certification?
A variety of certifications may be earned after completing training courses available online. In addition to the role-specific training, more generic HIPAA courses are available. Job-seekers may benefit from either training, but employers typically need periodic refresher training for their employees via standard HIPAA training. In this case, a copy of the certificate is kept on file in case of an OCR audit, inquiry, or inspection.
When does HIPAA education need to be completed to meet federal regulations?
HIPAA training must satisfy two separate government mandates. The first mandates that Covered Entities and Business Associates “implement a security and awareness training program for all members of the workforce” (45 CFR 164.308), and the second mandates that Covered Entities provide policy and procedure training “to each new employee of the organization within a reasonable period after the person joins the Covered Entities workforce.”
To whom does the duty of providing HIPAA training to staff members fall?
Responsibility varies from role to role and department to department, depending on the specifics of the organization, its activities, and its resources. In smaller healthcare companies, the Privacy Rule training will generally fall under the purview of the healthcare administrator. In contrast, the Security Rule training will fall under the purview of a senior IT team member. In other instances, a single individual will serve in both capacities. Larger companies often have a dedicated HIPAA compliance team to ensure that all workers get the necessary HIPAA training.
