1. HIPAA Policy and Sample Rejection Letter Introduction The health insurance portability and accountability act ensure that healthcare organizatio ns protect the privacy of the patient’s medical data. To maintain the HIPAA compliance guidelines, several key cybersecurity measures have to be implemented in order to ensure the integrity of patient data. The HIPAA guidelines need to be adhered to especially by firms which deal with protected health information. Such firms include healthcare providers, health care clearinghouses, employee health plans, insurance companies, medical transcription services, external accountants and other business associates of healthcare institutions (Joshi, 2016). This paper gives an overview of the privacy aspect of HIPAA, importance, my reflection on the laws and a formal letter denying a patient request to health information. Part A Overview The HIPAA privacy rule sets the boundaries on which health records can be used and released. The safeguards established by the HIPAA aim to protect the PHI of patients. A business dealing with PHI’s must adhere to HIPAA regulations by providing patients with a notice of privacy practices which states how complaints can be filed and outline patients’ rights. The HIPAA security rule protects EHRs by requiring companies to have administrative, physical and, technical safeguards. The administrative safeguards need a company to have a designated security offic ia l who identifies risks, authorizes access and provide security training to other staff. The physical access requires facilities to have limited access to patient data and devices while the technical safeguards ensure that there are firewalls and, antivirus programs that protect patient data against cybercrime and malware. The HIPAA breach notification rule requires companies to inform the government and patients if any PHIs are stolen or misplaced. All HIPAA violations are to be handled and investigated by the OCR (Moore, 2019). Importance The HIPAA guidelines on privacy ensure that patient data is kept safe and its integr ity preserved. Since patient medical data contains personal information it is important to ensure that they are adequate to countermeasures against the misuse of the information. The rules also create accountability among health provision firms, with the firms being required to safely store and account for patient data. Furthermore, the strict penalties placed by the OCR ensure that the patient’s medical data security is enhanced. Discussion The HIPAA guidelines provide an adequate framework for ensuring the safety and privacy of patients is upheld. The HIPAA breach rule enables joint cooperation between the patient, government and healthcare firms reducing the impact of stolen PHIs. The appraisal of patients enables them to implement early countermeasures against theft of personal property, blackmailing, and impersonation. The technical safeguards also provide adequate security against computer malware which can interfere with medical data. The administrative safeguards put in place ensure that most healthcare facilities and their associated businesses maintain high standards of security when dealing with PHIs. I, however, feel that there should be a team of professionals working round the clock to ensure patient data is kept safe. The recent rise in PHI theft in America and the resultant theft of patient property and identity require a review of the current safeguards. Part B Kentucky Hospital P.O BOX 30197-00100. Kentucky. Patrick Suleiman. P.O BOX 30266-00100 Kentucky Dear Mr. Patrick RE: DENIAL OF MEDICAL INFORMATION Mr. Patrick, we wish to inform you that your application for your medical information has been denied because it did not meet the required standards of this healthcare facility. The applicatio n was not given 30days prior to the due date as required by the hospital policy. Also, the PHI information you requested for is not part of the designated record set as provided by the HIPAA guidelines. Your psychotherapy notes are written by our mental healthcare provider and are personal and cannot be divulged to his patients. For more information on the same see 45 CFR 164.524(a)(1)(1) and 164.501. The hospital requires an oral verification of the application based on the information requested for. You did not show up for the verification hence the informa tio n could not be divulged. However, the hospital can provide your medical records, billing records, enrolment, payment, claims, adjudication and medical management records upon your request. We look forward to working with you to improve your health. Yours Sincerely, Dr. Mildred Kentucky Hospital Conclusion PHIs are crucial to making healthcare decisions concerning patient health. They should, therefore, be kept in safe environments free from misuse or theft in order to preserve the integr ity of the information contained. The HIPAA guidelines provide a suitable framework to be followed with the safeguards aiming to improve the security of patient data. The accountability brought upon by the HIPAA breach rule enables patients to counter stolen identities and PHIs. However, the safety of the EHR system should be reviewed to enhance the security of PHIs. References Joshi, K. P., Yesha, Y., & Finin, T. (2016, June). An ontology for a HIPAA compliant cloud service. In 4th International IBM Cloud Academy Conference ICACON 2016 Moore, W., & Frye, S. A. (2019). A review of the HIPAA, Part 1: History, PHI, and Privacy and Security Rules. Journal of nuclear medicine technology, jnmt-119. 2. Principles and Ethics in Healthcare The principles and ethics of the organization in this particular scenario evolve around a commitment to legal compliance as well as integrity and ethical conduct. The organization complies with applicable laws, rules and regulations and also aims to avoid conflicts of interest (Cohen & Mello,2018).It is passionate about doing things right with customers as well as shareholders and the local communities and it holds itself in the right standards through an adherence to ethical principles. The organization also adheres to corporate social responsibility and follows legal compliance and codes of ethical conduct in all work-related activities. The organization understands the importance of following HIPAA guidelines because this helps to ensure that healthcare providers and the health plans implement safeguarding in order to protect sensitive personal as well as health information. Through this the organization is able to engage a multitier approach in all of its activities therefore ensuring better organizationa l outcomes (Cohen & Mello,2018). The organization is also able to protect patients and their confidentiality therefore ensuring better outcomes for the patient. HIPPA has also managed to ensure better outcomes through the protection of patients and their confidentiality and through this it has become easier to transmit patient information when it is needed. HIPAA has been able to ensure flexibility in healthcare through the implementation of various directives aimed at improving the dispensation of care. HIPAA has a major role to play in ensuring better outcomes and upholding organizational values as well as integrity and ethical practices. It ensures that the healthcare providers maintain quality of care given to the patient therefore ensuring better outcomes are achieved. HIPAA also intends to improve the healthcare system and it covers issues linked to patient privacy as well as disclosure of data and data security. It aims at benefitting the consumers therefore ensuring that there are better outcomes to care. HIPPA rules restrict individuals from sharing patient information unnecessarily therefore ensuring confidentiality (Obeng & Paul,2019). HIPPA has also been able to examine the underlying values which drive organizational behavior and also use recommendations to ensure improvement of care based on the information received. HIPAA continues to place emphasis on compliance in healthcare and especially so in issues related to the sensitivity of patient data. The organization sets standards for care and it ensures the protection of health information through compliance. HIPAA has been set up in such a way that it bears consideration to issues that are related to cultural competency. The organization has set in place measures to ensure effective and culturally competent aspects of care. It is also based on a culturally competent model that bears consideration to the needs and expectations of diverse cultures (Obeng & Paul, 2019). It reflects diverse identities and it has been able to focus its model on ensuring better patient care. The organization also aims to ensure that various disparities in care are eliminated and different cultural groups are able to access care when they need it. The organization also offers an inclusive approach to the healthcare practice and this is in a manner that recognizes the context as well as complexities of provider and patient interactions and at the same time preserves the dignity of individuals as well as families and communities (Obeng & Paul,2019).The organization realizes that racial and ethnic minorities tend to receive lower quality care and it has therefore continually tabled recommendations aimed at improving the financing of medical care, the allocation of care as well as improvement of community based care. It continues to study patterns in care and uses the information received to suggest recommendations of improvement of care in the healthcare sector. References Cohen, I. G., & Mello, M. M. (2018). HIPAA and protecting health information in the 21st Century. Jama, 320(3), 231-232. Obeng, O., & Paul, S. (2019). Understanding HIPAA Compliance Practice in Healthcare Organizations in a Cultural Context. 3. Diversity in the Medical Office Constructive Contributions to Work Tasks The approach of working as a team should underpin how people operate. Being a manger does not entail acting as supervisor to see people getting their roles done satisfactorily. It involves engaging people in the entire team in a creative role to ensure you all succeed together. It is motivational to involve people in board issues. It is not advisable to underestimate people. Views of colleagues can improve everything: standards, processes, method and entire effectiveness. For instance, in health care there is rising dependence on teams in different specialties like social work, nursing, and physical therapy to care for ill people. Clinical care can be improved by teams since they aggregate, combine, modify and utilize a variety of knowledge to come up with decisions, idea, resolve challenges and implement tasks effectively than a person working alone (Mayo and Woolley, 2016). With this kind of potential, a team comprised of diverse specialties in health care can work together to determine diagnoses, procedures, develop care plan and generally offer effective and quality care to patients. Contributor to success can is whether or not workers are can perform as a team. Creativity in work place is encouraged through increasing competition in a workplace, so as to increase productivity and develop productive employee relationships. Demonstration of Professionalism Patient care is a fundamental physician competency. Offering patient care with an understanding of professional responsibility and character is what society values as a good doctor. Successful healthcare career is supported by a most important factor, professional etiquette. People from different backgrounds are involved in healthcare which involves many personal interactions. In healthcare etiquette is above good manners, it should involve creating respectable relationships with co-workers, supervisors and patients. Healthcare professionals must create an environment for the interaction with patients in a medical setting (Babiker et al 2014). Healthcare professionals interact with people who judge them on how they communicate, appearance and body language. Patient have confidence with physician who are kind and empathetic. It is stressful to visit a doctor and deal with a medical staff who is inattentive, unfriendly and disorganized. Encouraging patients to express their expectations, ideas and concerns improves patient satisfaction. Healthcare experience of patients is diverse, but largely people are after care that is patient-centered and fulfills and their needs. A patient always becomes comfortable with a physician whom they are trusting their well-being. Some people feel better and heal faster when some communication techniques are applied by medical staff. Challenges in Cultural Diversity The way patients understand health concepts and make health decisions related to their health and the manner in which they take care of their health is highly influenced by beliefs, religion, culture and ethnic customs. When medical personnel lack proper training they can provide medical advice without putting into consideration how health beliefs and cultural practices impact patients receiving the advice. Medical professionals can deliver treatment plans that are consistent with the patients’ values by engaging the patient and asking about the patients’ religions ethnic customs and cultures (Almutairi, 2015). In contemporary diverse society, cultural, social and ethnic complexities shape the interaction and communication in clinical encounters. It is important to understand the challenges and barriers patients with migration background and medical personnel experience in their shared clinical meetings and discover ethical aspects involved. Healthcare has always been a complex issue with culture and language barriers complicating the situation. Benefits of Diverse Cultural workforce. In a healthcare facility diversity is critical, and everyday researchers are finding more information supporting this concept. According to research by Almutairi gender diverse organizations are 15% more likely to outshine organizations in the bottom quartile for diversity and ethnically diverse institutions are thirty five percent likely to do better than organization with minimal diversity (Almutairi, 2015). A diverse workforce is beneficial to a healthcare facility for a number of reasons. People from different backgrounds become adaptable accepting others and it also allows new ideas and innovation. An environment of teamwork and tolerance is formed through a culturally diverse workforce. Minimal number of language barrier challenges is encountered if a health facility is made up of healthcare professionals that speak different languages. Patient outcomes are directly impacted by cultural understanding and benefits of increased diversity within a healthcare facility. Culturally diverse human resource increases cultural understanding and diversity and also patient satisfaction. With an increase in diversity within patient base and its understanding can lead to provision of better patient care. Healthcare staff can relate to their patients through understanding differences in languages and beliefs about medicine. Medical professionals have conversations and provide courses of action for their patients if they have understanding of culture and have empathy. Access to care for minority patients, patient satisfaction and healthcare utilization patterns are improved with increasing diversity of the healthcare workforce. One specific strategy to improve healthcare effectiveness in culturally diverse environment is to increase diversity and make and inclusion programs a strategic priority in the entire healthcare facility. Healthcare organization with greater cultural competency have better hospital rating and recommendation. References Almutairi, K. M. (2015). Culture and language differences as a barrier to provision of quality care by the health workforce in Saudi Arabia. Saudi medical journal, 36(4), 425. Babiker, A., El Husseini, M., Al Nemri, A., Al Frayh, A., Al Juryyan, N., Faki, M. O., ... & Al Zamil, F. (2014). Health care professional development: Working as a team to improve patient care. Sudanese journal of paediatrics, 14(2), 9. Mayo, A. and Woolley, A. (2016). Teamwork in Health Care: Maximizing Collective Intelligence via Inclusive Collaboration and Open Communication. [online] Journal of Ethics | American Medical Association. Available at: https://journalofethics.amaassn.org/article/teamwork-health-care- maximizing-collective-intelligence-inclusivecollaboration-and-open/2016-09 [Accessed 21 Jul. 2019]. 4. Customer Satisfaction Survey Part A: Survey Questions Survey is essential in an organization since it helps in a perfect accomplishment of success and organizational goals (Ahmed, & Nawaz, 2015). Based on the approaches which are identified, survey serves better when it comes to improvements which are required for an organization. 1. How could you rate the medical services which were offered by the organization? 2. What did you find most interesting in your visit to the organization? 3. How can you advise us for a change or development plan based on the issues identified? 4. What are the major needs of the organization and recommended approaches for success? 5. How were the healthcare workers and their services? 6. Would you like to visit this healthcare facility? 7. How are the medical services in the healthcare organization? 8. What would you recommend when the medical staff changed their services? 9. Do you think the healthcare organization is the best when it comes offering medical services? 10. How are the infrastructure and do you think they are good for the medical management services? Part B: MEMO To: All employees From: The manager Cc: Departmental Leaders Re: REASON FOR CREATING CUSTOMER SURVEY Dear employees, greeting to you hoping that you are fine and of good health. I want to bring to your attention that a survey was created to enable the customers to evaluate the services of the healthcare organization. In the management of services, it is recommended that right approaches are applied for a successful approach and accomplishment of organizational goals which are good for success of the identified services (Kaliannan, & Adjovu, 2015). Based on the needs of the organization, it is necessary to follow a logical approach and ensure that the workers rate the services of the organization. All employees are urged to follow the right path to ensure that effective customer services are applied. The organization is against the challenges which exist, and it is necessary to follow the right path to deliver what is required in the organizational scope (Ahmed, & Nawaz, 2015). We humbly request for your cooperation. Yours faithfully, Office Manager. Link to survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YGYKKDV References Ahmed, I., & Nawaz, M. M. (2015). Antecedents and outcomes of perceived organizational support: a literature survey approach. Journal of Management Development, 34(7), 867-880. Kaliannan, M., & Adjovu, S. N. (2015). Effective employee engagement and organizational success: a case study. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 172, 161-168.
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