HIPAA Training – Job Specific HIPAA and the Importance of the HIPAA Privacy Rule

When it comes to working in the medical field – or any healthcare-related industry – knowing the importance of HIPAA (or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability) is crucially important.

With that in mind, it may surprise you when it comes to just how many professionals within the field are not entirely up to date on some of the most essential rules regarding HIPAA. In a world where technology is constantly changing, it is crucially important that those who depend on the healthcare and medical industries keep their information private and safe and feel confident.

In fact, unsecured health information has been known to impact countless individuals over the past decade. Beyond that, the companies responsible for information breaches are often on the hook for millions of dollar’s worth of lost revenue – through either fines or lawsuits.

Beyond that, these breaches can create a significant impact on the trust that patients have. Luckily, this lost revenue and breaches of trust can be avoided entirely.

But it all starts with employees being trained sufficiently to confidently follow HIPAA rules each and every time they enter the office.

So, if you are curious about why your HIPAA Training is so crucially important, then you have come to the right place. Let’s break down the top reasons why together.

Rules and requirements are constantly being augmented

One of the very top reasons why HIPAA training is so necessary is because the laws evolving the healthcare system in the United States are constantly changing. That has become even more true in recent years as technology has drastically impacted how healthcare professionals do business.

What may have been perfectly fine a couple of years ago could be utterly illegal today. That is why regular HIPAA training is an essential requirement for even your most experienced and veteran employees.

It makes sure everyone is safe

As a healthcare professional, the safety of every patient should be considered the most important thing at all times. In fact, it would be highly irresponsible to think anything else was true. For that reason, your company needs to be sure that it can guarantee the safety of all of your patient’s information – as that information remaining secure may be directly tied to their sense of trust, safety, and mental health.

Beyond that, if that information is released, your patients will likely feel wholly betrayed. It is essential to protect their data to keep them from having to undergo this highly traumatic experience.

It makes hiring employees much easier

Believe it or not, many companies within the health industry do not adequately teach new employees how to deal with HIPAA information and laws. In fact, some companies even believe that it is the employees’ responsibility to learn these sometimes particular and complex rules while on the job.

This is where employers can play a crucial role in not only helping their new employees but also help the company overall.

Keep in mind that many new employees are often afraid to speak up if and when they do not fully understand something when they are new to a job. By creating a HIPAA training program, a company will also create a safe space in which new and veteran employees can ask questions and make sure that they are entirely comfortable with the HIPAA rules that apply directly to their line of work.

HIPAA training helps prevent lawsuits

On top of the moral responsibility that a healthcare company has towards its patients, employees and those at the top of the company also have a professional obligation to make sure that they are doing everything in their power to make sure that the company is going in the right direction.

HIPAA violations come with an incredibly high price, and companies can actually be fined millions of dollars if data breaches that reveal patients’ private information do occur. Beyond that, individual workers can be fined, lose their licenses, or both! Companies as a whole can also be sued by individuals and taken to court.

This may not only impact the bottom line of a company that is facing fines and paying of lawsuits, but it can also prove to be incredibly damaging to a company’s reputation, making it harder for them to meet financial goals in the future for many years to come.

Trust us when we say that these kinds of violations and lawsuits are not even that rare and that it is indeed a grave matter. If an employer or employee values the economic strength and integrity of their company, then HIPAA training should be a significant asset to make sure that employees follow the appropriate guidelines every day they enter the office.

Makes jobs much easier for management

When it comes to the direction of a company overall, it is essential to make sure that your upper management can deal with big-picture responsibilities and make sure that everyone who works below them is doing a great job.

If your upper management constantly has to concern itself with making sure that those beneath them are following HIPAA laws, then there is going to be little time for them to start looking towards the future and figuring out how to help the company continue to grow and outpace your competitors.

However, if everyone at the company is well aware of what is expected from them regarding HIPAA laws, there will be less concern amongst upper management and more ability for them to focus on the big picture.

Conclusion

As you can see, HIPAA training is a significant benefit for companies within the healthcare and medical industries for many reasons. Now, it is up to you and your company to figure out where you stand in terms of HIPAA training and what must be done – if anything – to improve it.