The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is a regulatory agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that ensures compliance with privacy and security rules such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). OCR and state attorney generals can penalize practices for HIPAA violations.
What can you, as a dental office, do to ensure the safety and security of patient data?
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends developing thorough physical and technical safeguards to ensure patient data remains secure. Physical safeguards are safeguards such as: limiting facility access, having procedures for disposal of data, and ensuring that workstations are not in plain view. Technical safeguards are implemented such as authentication processes and removing terminated employees from software or technology that contains PHI.
When a breach is suspected, your dental practice should report the breach to the designated security and privacy officer. An internal investigation should ensue, and the information from the investigation should guide your practice in deciding whether the breach is a reportable breach.
Healthcare security breaches are increasing, and it is crucial for dental professionals to develop policies that ensure safety with protected health information.
If your dental practice needs assistance or has questions about being HIPAA compliant, reach out to our firm.
Revolution Law Group is located in Greensboro, NC, and serves individuals and small businesses throughout the Triad and surrounding areas. To contact us please visit Revolution.law or call 336-333-7907.
The information included here is for informational purposes only, is not exhaustive of all considerations when creating documents, is not intended to be legal advice, and should not be relied upon for that purpose. We strongly recommend you consult with an attorney and do not attempt to create your own documents.