You’re already busy, and now you’re frustrated by HIPAA. All the information out there is pretty vague, and you don’t know where to start. The good news is, you’ve come to the right place. HIPAA for occupational therapy practices can be broken down into a handful of steps.
- Complete a security risk assessment and implement remediation plans
- Create HIPAA policies and procedures
- Train employees annually
- Sign business associate agreements with business associate vendors
- Implement incident response and reporting procedures
1. Security Risk Assessments and Remediation
Security risk assessments (SRAs) uncover weaknesses and vulnerabilities in your security practices. To ensure HIPAA compliance in your occupational therapy practice, you must implement remediation plans. Remediation plans address vulnerabilities found by your SRA and include detailed actions and a timeline for remediation.
2. HIPAA Policies and Procedures
Written policies and procedures ensure that you meet HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification requirements. It’s crucial that your policies and procedures are customized for your practice’s specific needs. Policies and procedures must be reviewed annually and amendments made to account for any changes in your business practices.
3. HIPAA Training
HIPAA imposes training requirements for any employee with the potential to access protected health information (PHI). HIPAA training must be provided annually, with proof of training documented.
4. Business Associate Agreements
Business associate agreements must be signed with each of your business associate vendors. A BAA is a legal contract that requires each signing party to be HIPAA compliant and be responsible for maintaining their compliance. When a vendor doesn’t sign a BAA, it cannot be used for business associate services.
Common examples of business associates include electronic health records platforms, email service providers, online appointment scheduling software, and cloud storage providers.
5. Incident Response and Reporting
The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule requires practices to have a system to detect, respond to, and report breaches. Employees must also have the means to report incidents anonymously and know what to do if they suspect a breach has occurred.
Compliance You Can Trust
Compliancy Group helps occupational therapy practices achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance. Gone are the days of confusing research and hundreds of pages of untouched policy binders.
Occupational therapy practices that work with Compliancy Group can be confident that they meet all HIPAA standards. As the Preferred Provider for HIPAA compliance for the AOTA, you know you can trust us.
