Capella university

NURS-FPX 4040 Managing Health Information and Technology

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Protected Health Information (PHI)

Protected Health Information (PHI) is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) policy legislation that protects patients’ personally identifiable medical data sent or stored in electronic records or communicated or retained in any other form or medium. Individual identifiable health information consists of demographic data acquired from an individual and developed or acquired by a healthcare provider or health plan (Alder, 2023)

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) places a premium on standards that limit the use of protected health information to those who have a legitimate need to know about the patient record. To penalize people who violate confidentiality regulations. This act is critical in providing principles for patient health information privacy, security, and confidentiality. It promotes patient permission for PHI dissemination and patient permission (Rockwern et al., 2021).

Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality

Privacy is the obligation of authorized personnel who use PHI to keep such information private. The privacy rule governs the use and disclosure of PHI. According to HIPAA regulations, all PHI regarding an individual must be kept private. It protects any verbal, textual, and electronic information the patient provides (Moore & Frye, 2019). Sharing a patient’s test results and care plan is a violation of the privacy rule. Security policies are to prevent unauthorized individuals from obtaining PHI.  The HIPAA security rule maintains a patient’s information integrity (Issa et al., 2020).

Mishandling of medical records is a security rule violation. Confidentiality is the safeguarding of personal information. It is a trustworthy communication or consensus-building process between medical professionals and patients. The disclosure and uploading of patients’ photographs and identification information on social media is a violation of the confidentiality regulation (Kahn, 2020).

The use of social media and HIPAA requirements are now more easily breached. Regulations must be implemented to protect patients’ data against data breaches. To emphasize the significance of HIPAA, the organization must have a strict disciplinary policy. HIPAA violations resulting in a verbal or written warning are minor violations of rules. HIPAA rule violation results in suspension or temporary removal of an employee from their position to provide time for consideration (Gaia et al., 2020).

Termination in case of compromising patient data security or eroding trust due to violation. Legal and financial penalties in case of serious violation. These penalties are based on breach severity. Cancellation of license due to severe violation impacts employee career prospects (Simone, 2019). In the US, organizations that violate social media policies and HIPAA rules may be penalized for $2.5 million (Szalados, 2021).

Interdisciplinary Collaboration in the protection of Electronic Health Record

It is critical for the safety and confidentiality of patient health information. Interaction across departments, including clinicians, nurses, IT, and cyber security, aids in ensuring the safety of Electronic Health Information (EHR) (Barbieri et al., 2023). Interaction enhances patient care and data safety by bridging the gap between healthcare and information technology. Interdisciplinary collaborations lower the risk of patient health information misuse and medical errors (Vehko et al., 2019). It is crucial for the establishment and maintenance of adequate security protocols. Collaboration improve data integrity and accuracy. Teamwork supports compliance with HIPAA ethical and legal regulations (Lindblad, 2021).

Evidence-Based Strategies to Prevent Violation of HIPAA

Implementation of access control tools like passwords, two-factor authentication, or PINs secures medical data. Encrypt stored information to secure the medical record system. Implementation of rules for social media use. Avoid posting and commenting patient’s information on social media.  Avoid sending PHI-containing SMS texts and sharing electronic PHI on social media (Heath et al., 2022).

Evidence-Based Approaches

Training on security rules for the privacy of medical records equips healthcare staff with the knowledge they need to make accurate decisions regarding patient information. It is also crucia