The importance of having good health care privacy can’t be stated enough. It is the entire basis of the doctor-patient relationship. The essential reason that we have the Health Information Privacy and Accountability Act is to prevent breaches of trust and preserve this relationship. This is why it is important for all healthcare providers to have a good health information system to manage and protect patient’s information. For this reason, a HIPAA risk management analysis is usually a great action that providers can take to ensure that they are doing their part to protect patient’s privacy. Here’s some of the many reasons to have a risk management analysis done...
Better for patients
First and foremost, it is a very good thing for your patients. Having a risk management analysis shows your patients that you are serious about protecting their information. This type of assurance grows trust between you and your patients, which one of the foundations of modern healthcare.
Less of a liability
While one of the most important things is the protection of the patients, having a risk management analysis is also an important step to take in protecting the healthcare provider’s liability. These types of analyses help you see the holes in your system which could end up costing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in fines and legal damages in the future. Taking steps to protect your company from this will save lots of money in the long run.
Effectiveness
A risk management analysis is able to give a clear vision of how your current information management system is working. This presents an opportunity to streamline certain processes and put in place safeguards that are actually protecting the information, making your entire system much more efficient. This can be a great way to cut costs and build a stronger network within your healthcare business. Also, such information usually presents a clear line on how to improve your system and get better in the future.
Better documentation
One of the worst things that a healthcare provider can do to violate the Health Information Privacy and Accountability Act is misplace a patient’s health information. While putting in good safeguards is important to prevent that, the most important thing that you can do is have excellent documentation of every movement that you make with a patient’s information. This will provide a clear line of activity if you ever need to protect yourself from legal action, and can prevent any violations from occurring down the road.