HIPAA Compliance Training and Certification Guide

Expert HIPAA Compliance Certification Advice

MedPro takes HIPAA compliance seriously, and we want to help you meet your obligations. That’s why we’re offering access to a recent webinar with a HIPAA training expert. Sign up and you’ll get a free HIPAA risk assessment just for tuning in.

During the webinar, you will learn:

  • What HIPAA is and how it works
  • The types of compliance challenges that healthcare providers face in 2023
  • Best practices for improving HIPAA compliance
  • How you can avoid penalties for HIPAA violations

OfficeSafe – Supporting Your HIPAA Compliance and Certification Goals

HIPAA compliance begins in the office. For complete HIPAA compliance – and peace of mind – try OfficeSafe.

OfficeSafe is a comprehensive compliance tool designed to help you assess and manage risks and respond to threats. With this user-friendly management solution, you can:

Track compliance with your policies and procedures

Take your annually required HIPAA Risk Assessments

Track and store Business Associate Agreements

Gain PCI compliance for your payment processing

Attend exclusive monthly HIPAA webinars

Complete HIPAA trainings and store your certificates

Get the tools you need to protect your practice and your reputation!

Your practice is at a greater risk for cyber attacks due to the nature of your business, and the large amount of personal data available in a medical office. OfficeSafe helps with personal identity theft, email encryption, and even keeps a physical, encrypted copy of all your records, so you can be ready for anything.

Identity Theft Restoration

Encrypted Data Backup and Email Solutions

Request Instant Access to our HIPAA Security Training Webinar

Our HIPAA compliance training webinar gives you the tools you need to improve your HIPAA compliance. To view the webinar and receive a free HIPAA assessment, simply fill in the form!

Medical Compliance Certification

HIPAA and OSHA Compliance Rules

Medical and dental offices are required to have extensive training regarding guidelines and requirements for HIPAA, OSHA and dealing with blood-borne pathogens. These compliance rules and training processes are for the safety of both the patient and the staff as well as for the protection of patient records.

What’s confusing about the rules, though, is that they’re not always clearly defined. There’s significant room for interpretation, which can lead to confusion and inconsistency in applying the rules.

MedPro wants to ensure that you meet your HIPAA training needs. If you’re unsure how to get HIPAA certified or how to meet HIPAA training requirements, our team may be able to help. Please feel free to reach out to us with questions.

Is HIPAA and OSHA training required to be done on an annual basis?

How Often Must HIPAA and OSHA Training Be Completed?

The answer depends on whether it’s HIPAA compliance training or OSHA training.

HIPAA:

HIPAA does not have a set training schedule. Employees must receive periodic refresher training, and new staff must receive training within a reasonable time of joining the team.

You may consider providing HIPAA compliance training once a year to ensure employees receive periodic updates based on the most up-to-date regulations.

OSHA

According to the regulations, employees should normally receive OSHA training at least annually. This does not need to be exactly within 12 months but as close to the timeframe as possible.

Staff may need more frequent training, especially if there are rule changes they should be aware of. And new staff should, usually, receive training within 10 days of beginning the job.

Are physicians and dentists excluded from OSHA and HIPAA compliance training?

No. If you’re a healthcare worker, assume that training requirements apply.

OSHA training is a mandatory requirement for all staff who face hazards at work. This will include doctors and dentists and other health workers such as administrators, nurses, and part-time workers.

HIPAA training is a mandatory requirement for all individuals that come into contact with PHI (protected health information) and this includes physicians, nurses, doctors, receptionists, administrative and part time staff as well as interns.

More specialized training may be required for those staff members that have certain positions, such as HIM, network administration, information technology or regulatory compliance.

How long does HIPAA training certification take?

There’s no single answer to this question. There is no set time frame for HIPAA compliance training. Instead, employees must receive training that is sufficient to cover the required information.

Typically, HIPAA security training will take more than a few minutes, even for workers with the lowest level of access. However, it might only take the average healthcare worker a few hours to complete unless they have greater privileges that warrant further training e.g. they’re in a managerial role.

What kind of topics should be covered during HIPAA certification training?

There are various topics that must be covered to fully complete HIPAA compliance training. Topics to cover include:

  • How HIPAA works
  • HIPAA definitions
  • Patient rights
  • The “Privacy Rule” – allowable disclosures of health data
  • The“Security Rule” – controlling access to health data
  • Breach notification training
  • Consequences of HIPAA breaches
  • How to comply with HIPAA

As being HIPAA-compliant is mandatory for covered entities and healthcare providers, it’s important you understand what topics should be covered in training. To be clear, though, employees don’t need training on every module – only those which are relevant to their job role and level of authorization.

Full details of HIPAA and Privacy Act training modules can be found on the hhs.gov website.

HIPAA and OSHA Training Requirements: Summary as of 2023

Annual OSHA Employee Training, GHS: Global Harmonization System Proof of Training, HIPAA Omnibus Rule Employee Training & Implement Protocols

New employees or alteration of duties due to a job change include the following procedural training information that involves potential new hazards:

General Office Safety – including injury and illness prevention program (IIPP), fire safety and emergency responses, eyewash stations, and washrooms; Hazard Communication

Ionizing Radiation; Blood borne Pathogens – including medical waste management information.

If you’re unsure what training requirements you need to meet, you can contact MedPro.

Healthcare Compliance Support from MedPro

At MedPro, we’re committed to helping healthcare workers create safe, compliant workplaces for staff and patients alike. From OSHA to HIPAA compliance training, our team can help you track, review, and improve your overall medical compliance certification efforts. We can answer any questions you might have about getting HIPAA certified and we can help you comply with OSHA waste management rules.

To improve your security awareness and training, reach out to MedPro. Contact us to view our HIPAA webinar or get help with sharps and hazardous waste disposal.

Contact Us Now for More Information

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