HIPAA Compliance for Optometry

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HIPAA Compliance for Optometry
Running a successful practice in todays
competitive eye care industry requires you to be
up-to-date and aware of everything that happens
under your roof. One of the key areas of practice
management that cannot be compromised is HIPAA
compliance within Optometry. Any missteps can
create a headache for everyone involved and can
lead to fines and the potential for lawsuits. The
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules are
federal law. The Privacy Rule gives individuals
rights over their health information and sets
rules and limits on who can look at and receive
health information. The Security Rule delineates
safeguards to protect health information in
electronic form and helps to ensure that
electronically protected health information is
secure. Weve uncovered three areas that many
practices are out of HIPAA compliance within
Optometry and probably dont even know it. 1.
Improper Document Management Healthcare
providers are still in a bit of a transition
period when it comes to document management after
the inception of EHR systems nationwide. Its not
uncommon to see paper charts lying around an
office as the task of scanning and converting
records to a digital form is time-consuming.
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HIPAA Compliance for Optometry
As an example, more often than not, new
patients are asked to fill out their demographics
and health history on several paper forms at
check-in. Time and time again, these documents
are put into a bin to be shredded later down the
line. Depending on the size of the practice,
some offices utilize a shredding service and the
records pile up until their weekly scheduled
pick-up. This situation makes it far too easy for
these papers to get lost, stolen, or even placed
in the trash can by accident. In addition, if
you are on top of it and scanning the
documentation into your EHR right away, another
major area of HIPAA compliance within Optometry
Billing is then forgetting to delete the scanned
file from your desktop once uploaded into your
EHR system.
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HIPAA Compliance for Optometry
2. Disclosure of PHI In order to convert
patients into customers at the optical shop, its
important that your opticians have a clear
understanding of the visual needs and
recommendations youve discussed with the patient
in the exam room. How many times is this
information reviewed in a crowded waiting room,
allowing everyone to hear that Mr. J needs an
appointment for retinal photos and that hes
going to be a first-time progressive wearer? It
can be a complex situation, as you want to
maintain the integrity of your hand-off to the
optician, yet cant really disclose the amount of
information you need to. More often than not,
practitioners end up using hushed voices to tell
their staff the important details and hope that
they are not overheard by other patients in the
reception area. 3. Unprotected Storage
Solutions Some EHR systems allow for cloud-based
storage, and this is an effective solution when
you can scan directly into the system. However,
think about the times outside of your practice
management software that you might use patient
information. Many practitioners are still turning
to Word or Google Docs documents to generate
documents like referral letters for their
patients. These methods are neither secure in
HIPAA Compliance within Optometry.
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HIPAA Compliance for Optometry
Any patient information stored on a hard drive
that isnt password protected and has little in
the way of encryption is a huge violation of
HIPAA compliance within Optometry. Some types of
copy and fax machines can even store your data,
making it a nightmare if it isnt completely
wiped before your lease is up and the machine is
returned. If you need to bring your medical
practice up to HIPAAs standards, please
contact Medical Billers and Coders (MBC) today
through email info_at_medicalbillersandcoders.com or
reach us at our toll-free number (888)-357-3226 
and well ensure that your medical practice is
HIPAA compliant. Reference HIPAA Compliance
within Optometry FAQs 1. What is HIPAA
compliance in optometry? HIPAA compliance
ensures that optometry practices protect patient
health information and follow federal guidelines
for privacy and data security.
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HIPAA Compliance for Optometry
2. How can improper document management affect
HIPAA compliance? Failure to properly handle
paper and electronic records can lead to breaches
of patient information, violating HIPAA rules and
risking fines. 3. Can discussing patient details
in a waiting room violate HIPAA? Yes, disclosing
Protected Health Information (PHI) in public
areas can breach patient privacy, which is a
violation of HIPAA. 4. Is it safe to store
patient information in Word or Google Docs? No,
using unsecured storage like Word or Google Docs
for patient data can result in HIPAA violations
due to lack of encryption and proper
protection. 5. What steps can my optometry
practice take to improve HIPAA compliance? Regula
rly audit your practice, implement secure data
storage solutions, train staff on privacy
practices, and consult HIPAA compliance experts
for thorough guidance.