AHIMA toolkit helps facilities prepare for HIPAA Phase 2 audits

With the HHS place of job for Civil Rights’ segment 2 HIPAA audit software in full swing, the American well being information management association has launched a toolkit to assist lined entities get ready for on-website audits with the aid of OCR.

in line with Kathy Downing, senior director at AHIMA, section 2 audits include each desk and onsite visits. then again, she contends that phase 2 audits carried out onsite will take a look at a broader scope of HIPAA necessities than these addressed all over the preliminary desk audits.

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ultimate 12 months, OCR commenced notifying coated entities that they had been selected for the desk audit part of the program. segment 2 can also be the first time that OCR’s audits will be instantly taking a look at HIPAA compliance for trade friends.

“we know that OCR did desk audits in 2016, they usually’re presently planning for face-to-face, onsite audits in 2017 for covered entities,” says Downing. “every organization should be investing time in self-auditing.”

toward that finish, AHIMA’s toolkit covers key aspects of section 2 audits, together with serving to coated entities and business associates bear in mind their respective requirements, in addition to detailing trade absolute best practices for assembly their regulatory responsibilities. In phase 2 of the audit program, covered entities are reviewed with the aid of OCR for HIPAA compliance despite whether or not or not a criticism has been filed in opposition to them.

“If OCR finds something and they begin to dig deeper, they’re most certainly going to find other things,” adds Downing. “So it’s perfect to know what you’re doing neatly and what you wish to fortify.”

among the topics addressed within the AHIMA external HIPAA audit readiness toolkit are:

• Introduction to the felony necessities concerned in the HIPAA audits
• guidance on how providers can put together for the audits, including a ramification on the HIPAA Audit Protocol
• Checklists for HIPAA audit steps, varieties, insurance policies and methods
• listing of attainable OCR documents requested
• grasp coverage template for the privateness and security compliance software

also See: Feds fantastic Dallas health center $ three.2M for HIPAA safety violations

“There’s plenty of chance associated with non-compliance with HIPAA,” contends Downing, who cites one of the multi-million buck fines levied by way of OCR not too long ago. “this idea of self-auditing has turn out to be very important.”

Downing notes that AHIMA’s toolkits are free for its contributors and cost $ 99 for non-participants.

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