HIPAA safe labor
HIPAA safe labor is a term about the process of the removal of specified identifiers of the patients, their relatives, employers, and household names. The satisfaction of the process is when and only when there is the complete removal of the identifiers. The cover identity does not have actual knowledge that the information that remains can be used to identify the patient (See, 2003). It is important to note that protection if the healthcare information translates to de-identification and ceases to be a PHI.it becomes free to be disclosed since it is no longer protected. “You treat disease. You win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, no matter what the outcome”.IT means that it is not possible to identify the owner of the information and cannot act as the basis for identification.
As per the 1996 act in HIPAA, some essential provisions were forwarded, and they form the basis of the HIPAA provisions, including a. Administrative simplification portability and fraud and abuse or the Medicaid integrity program. It has been confirmed that some specified pieces of information can be used in a combined form or individually to identify a person. Such pieces of information must be de-identified for privacy purposes and confidentiality. The elements like a patient’s name and the names if the relative and the employer should be de-identified (Russell, 2003). Another essential component that needs to be de-identified as HIPAA safe labor is the geographic locator .when using the geographic locator, it is vital that the person make if the three digits which are permitted .it is a fact that the first three digits could be having an excess of 20,000 users hence proves challenging to identify a person via geographical locator “Much easier to sell an answer than a question. Much more comforting to sit in delusion than reality”. Another vital element is the dates. They are included except the year, which is the necessary information for an individual. What is included in the data consists of the data like the dates of admission and the dates of discharge, birth dates, and the dates of death (Russell, 2003)? It should exclude the elements that simplify and tries to indicate the dates. It is essential that in the HIPAA safe labor, telephone, mails, and the fax numbers are secured and should never share for security reasons “we believe that we want to do what we are doing. Otherwise, how would we explain to others why we are doing it?”. Others that are touched as part of the requirements include the Healthcare beneficiaries’ numbers, social security numbers, and the medical record numbers. Device identifiers, vehicle registration, and the licenses and certificates numbers can also link to a person’s identity hence going against the requirements of the HIPAA safe labor.
As part of the HIPAA safe labor requirements, confidentiality and integrity of a patient’s record is a must. Sharing of information should at all cost nit mention the person’s identity and other links that can make him or her be known. It must not touch in the employer and social security numbers and even the geographic locator (“HIPAA resources,” 2003). Medical records are among the necessary information that must be handled with a lot of integrity and confidentiality. In the case of such information on a person’s health leaks to outsiders, the organization or the company responsible for the violation can be sued for privacy and confidentiality violations.
References
HIPAA resources. (2003). The Practical Guide to HIPAA Privacy and Security Compliance. DOI:10.1201/9780203507353.axc
Russell, J. (2003). The confidentiality of patients’ information must be guaranteed. BMJ, 327(7418), 812-b-812. DOI:10.1136/bmj.327.7418.812-b
See, M. R. (2003). The American Society for HIPAA* compliance presents: HIPAA sap I, a HIPAA self-assessment program. ACC Current Journal Review, 12(3), 22-24. DOI:10.1016/s1062-1458(03)00227-7