Staff training can prevent disclosure of protected health information (PHI) through email. A strong training program educates employees about PHI protection and HIPAA regulations. Proper training minimizes human error, safeguards patient privacy, and ensures regulatory compliance by continuously reinforcing the necessity of HIPAA security.
See also: HIPAA compliant email: The definitive guide
HIPAA compliance for healthcare email
HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a federal law enacted in 1996. It sets national standards for the protection of medical records and patients’ PHI. Healthcare organizations must comply with HIPAA to protect patient privacy and safeguard sensitive health information.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes standards for protecting patients’ PHI, while the Security Rule sets the guidelines for safeguarding electronic PHI (ePHI). HIPAA requires healthcare organizations and their business associates to demonstrate compliance to avoid data breaches and HIPAA violations. Compliance means following the administrative simplification regulations and utilizing administrative, physical, and technical measures as laid out by the act.
While HIPAA allows for the inclusion of PHI in email, it requires certain safeguards to guard against unauthorized access. Email safeguards include using HIPAA compliant email services with encryption, signing business associate agreements (BAAs), and applying the minimum necessary rule to limit shared information. Other breach prevention methods include implementing access controls, audit trails, and staff training on proper email use.
Learn more: Mitigating human error in email handling to prevent HIPAA breaches
HIPAA compliant email training
Regular training maintains a culture of compliance and vigilance by keeping staff informed about regulations and organizational policies toward email. Moreover, it reduces risks to healthcare organizations and their patients. HIPAA staff training equips employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to handle PHI securely under the law.
HIPAA compliant email training reinforces the value of protecting patient privacy. Staff should be trained in HIPAA compliant email practices and know how to verify recipient addresses, limit PHI exposure, and avoid common email mistakes, among other things. Email training guarantees that staff understand HIPAA’s requirements, recognize risks, and adopt secure communication practices.
Training on email in a healthcare setting stresses confidentiality, integrity, and availability of health information, and teaches employees to recognize and respond to potential threats. What follows are four details to consider when creating a strong training program to prevent email breaches of PHI.
Develop a strong training program and policy
Constructing a well-structured training program and policy is the first step to ensuring employees are aware of and adhere to HIPAA when using email. Clear training material ensures consistency and compliance across an organization. Training facilitators need to decide when to hold the training, who needs to learn what, and how to put the training into action. Training sessions should be tailored to different roles within the organization, ensuring all staff have the knowledge to handle PHI securely.
Read: Tips to spot phishing emails disguised as healthcare communication
Create a list of key training topics
Figuring out what topics to focus on is fundamental for proper email training. PHI email security training should cover a wide range of topics, such as:
- The HIPAA Act and email
- Email communication policies and methods
- Current email cybersecurity practices
- Proper use and disclosure of PHI
- Risks of emailing PHI
- Preventing accidental email breaches
- Incident response procedures
The exact topics to focus on depend on the needs of healthcare organizations and their employees. Knowing what topics matter should be developed when creating the training material.
Conduct regular exercises and simulations
Making training an ongoing process rather than a one-time event ensures employees remember what they are taught. Continuous education maintains high standards of compliance and security. Organizations should regularly conduct simulated exercises to assess staff susceptibility to email scams. These exercises and simulations provide valuable insights into vulnerabilities and allow organizations to refine their training programs accordingly. They also help reinforce the importance of vigilance when handling sensitive information via email.
Educate on the breach notification email policy
The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule establishes clear guidelines on addressing and reporting data breaches. Breaches affecting fewer than 500 individuals should be announced no later than 60 days after the end of the calendar year the breach occurred. Breaches affecting 500 or more individuals should be made no later than 60 days after the discovery of the breach.
Do you know: Are emails a risk for breaches?
Strong email security starts with training employees
Email encryption and access controls alone are not enough for HIPAA compliance. Organizations must train staff in secure email practices to stop scams and breaches before they occur. Training minimizes human error and equips employees with the knowledge they need to keep PHI secure and patients safe.
Organizations can foster a culture that prioritizes patient privacy by stressing the importance of secure communication. Staff should view patient information as critical and training as important for protection. Training ensures that staff understand the risks associated with emailing PHI and the steps they can take to prevent breaches.
FAQs
Who needs to complete HIPAA training?
All employees, contractors, volunteers, and any personnel who have access to PHI must complete HIPAA training.
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Who is responsible for overseeing HIPAA training?
The HIPAA Privacy and Security Officer is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing the HIPAA training program.
How often should refresher training be conducted for healthcare employees?
Refresher training should be conducted regularly, at least annually, and whenever there are updates to HIPAA regulations or organizational policies. Ongoing education helps keep staff up to date with the latest best practices and security threats.
What topics should HIPAA training cover?
HIPAA training should cover the Privacy Rule, Security Rule, and the Breach Notification Rule. Topics include the proper use and disclosure of PHI, safeguards to protect ePHI, recognizing and reporting security incidents, and the specific roles and responsibilities of employees regarding HIPAA compliance.
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Kapua Iao
