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Editorial (2)

2 min read

The difference between civil and criminal HIPAA penalties

Tshedimoso Makhene: Jan 8, 2025 8:55:39 AM

While both civil and criminal penalties aim to uphold the integrity of HIPAA, the primary difference lies in intent and enforcement. Civil penalties...

Editorial

3 min read

A guide to responding and reporting data breaches

Tshedimoso Makhene: Jan 8, 2025 8:47:54 AM

Responding to and reporting a data breach is a responsibility that requires prompt action, transparency, and adherence to regulatory requirements. By...

Editorial

Image of birth control pills for blog about How does the updated HIPAA Privacy Rule support reproductive healthcare privacy?

3 min read

How the updated HIPAA Privacy Rule supports reproductive healthcare privacy

Lusanda Molefe: Jan 8, 2025 8:11:54 AM

In its 2024 Year in Review, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR) stressed its commitment to enhancing...

Editorial

2 min read

Understanding criminal penalties for HIPAA violations

Tshedimoso Makhene: Jan 6, 2025 3:03:28 PM

While the civil penalties for HIPAA violations often get the spotlight, the law also enforces serious criminal penalties for individuals or entities...

Editorial

3 min read

How deep learning is redefining healthcare cybersecurity

Caitlin Anthoney: Jan 6, 2025 7:32:28 AM

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into cybersecurity solutions has transformed patient care through electronic...

Editorial

2 min read

The pros and cons of using AI in healthcare

Caitlin Anthoney: Jan 6, 2025 7:28:47 AM

Healthcare providers must know when to integrate AI into their workflows to optimize patient care and improve efficiency. Moreover, understanding its...

Editorial

2 min read

Auditing email campaigns

Tshedimoso Makhene: Jan 4, 2025 8:43:09 PM

Auditing email campaigns involves a review of email marketing strategies, content, performance metrics, and compliance with best practices and...

Editorial

3 min read

Report: Ransomware attacks cause $1.9 million daily loss

Caitlin Anthoney: Jan 2, 2025 7:29:13 PM

The healthcare sector remains a major target in a year of incessant cyberattacks against the United States. Ransomware attacks on healthcare...

Editorial

3 min read

Understanding BAA compliance in healthcare

Farah Amod: Jan 1, 2025 12:29:31 PM

Protecting sensitive patient information is a top priority in healthcare, especially as organizations work closely with third-party service...

Editorial

1 min read

Do you need authorization for face-to-face marketing?

Tshedimoso Makhene: Dec 31, 2024 3:23:20 PM

Face-to-face marketing provides a unique opportunity to connect with patients in a meaningful way. While it is generally exempt from the HIPAA...

Editorial

2 min read

What is a CI/CD pipeline?

Kirsten Peremore: Dec 31, 2024 3:14:18 PM

The Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (or Deployment) pipeline (CI/CD) is a process that automates the processes involved in software...

Editorial

2 min read

How 3D printing is changing healthcare and challenging HIPAA

Caitlin Anthoney: Dec 30, 2024 5:15:33 PM

Innovative manufacturing techniques, like 3D printing, are changing clinical practice. It allows clinicians to create physical objects from patient...

Editorial

Image of unidentified individuals for blog about For unidentified individuals, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guarantees the protection of their privacy even as healthcare providers and law enforcement collaborate to determine their identity. By limiting disclosures to the minimum necessary and requiring proper documentation, HIPAA upholds its mission of safeguarding personal health information, even in complex situations. Unidentified individuals in healthcare settings When healthcare providers encounter unidentified individuals, such as unconscious patients or those unable to confirm their identity, HIPAA still applies to any PHI collected during their care. Providers must handle this information with the same level of confidentiality as they would for identified patients. See also: HIPAA Compliant Email: The Definitive Guide HIPAA and unidentified individuals in legal contexts Providers may encounter situations where law enforcement seeks information about unidentified individuals. The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services outlines strict conditions under which this information may be shared: Court order, warrant, subpoena, or administrative process: a Provider may disclose information in response to a court order, warrant, subpoena or other administrative process if certain conditions are satisfied. (45 CFR § 164.512(f)(1)(ii)); Identify person: if law enforcement requests information to help identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person, a Provider may disclose the following limited information: (a) name and address, (b) date and place of birth, (c) social security number, (d) ABO blood type and rh factor, (e) type of injury, (f) date and time of treatment, (g) date and time of death, and (h) a description of distinguishing physical characteristics. Other information related to the individual's DNA, dental records, body fluid or tissue typing, samples, or analysis cannot be disclosed under this provision, but may be disclosed in response to a court order, warrant, or written administrative request. (45 CFR § 164.512(f)(2)). The disclosure must be in response to a request from law enforcement, which may include a response to a

2 min read

How HIPAA protects privacy while addressing unidentified individuals

Tshedimoso Makhene: Dec 30, 2024 11:24:43 AM

For unidentified individuals, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guarantees the protection of their privacy even as...

Editorial

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