TN006 Policy and Regulation Supporting Informatics and Technology NURS 6051 Transforming Nursing and Healthcare Through Technology Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): An Overview

 

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) constitutes a series of governmental regulations designed to protect patients’ health information from unauthorized access or usage (HealthIT.gov, n.d.; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services [HHS], n.d.). HIPAA encompasses several crucial provisions:

• Protection of Electronic Health Records (EHR): HIPAA safeguards the transmission of electronic health records (HHS, n.d.).
• Patient Access Rights: It grants patients the right to access their health records (HHS, n.d.).
• Restrictions on Healthcare Staff: HIPAA limits healthcare personnel on how they can use and access patients’ EHR (HealthIT.gov, n.d.; HHS, n.d.).

Impact of HIPAA on Bedside Shift Report (BSR)

HIPAA has significant implications for Bedside Shift Report (BSR), including:

• Mandatory Safeguarding of Patient Information: Nurses are required to safeguard patient personal information under penalty (Gialanella et al., 2017; HHS, n.d.).
• Legal Reminder for Healthcare Workers: It serves as a legal reminder to healthcare workers to obtain permission before sharing personal medical information in front of family members, visitors, and/or other patients (Malfait et al., 2019; HHS, n.d.).
• Cost Implications and Ethical Considerations: HIPAA entails cost implications such as redesigning double occupancy rooms to private or semi-private and presents ethical considerations to nurses regarding privacy breaches and the effective communication of information (Malfait et al., 2019; HHS, n.d.; Hoover, 2016).

NURS 6051 Assessment 6 TN006 Policy and Regulation Supporting Informatics and Technology

Improvements to Bedside Shift Report (BSR) through HIPAA

HIPAA also offers avenues for enhancing Bedside Shift Report (BSR), including:

• Embracing Health Information Technology (HIT): Utilizing HIT to incorporate EHR and facilitate the meaningful use of patient data (Gialanella et al., 2017; HealthIT.gov, n.d.).
• Reinforcing Patient Privacy Rights: Emphasizing patient privacy rights and the need for permission to share health information in front of family members (Gialanella et al., 2017; Malfait et al., 2019).
• Empowering Patients: Involving patients in decision-making processes regarding their health information (The Joint Commission [JC], 2017; Malfait et al., 2019).
• Streamlining Workflow: Streamlining workflow through patient involvement and utilizing checklists integrated into the EHR (Gialanella et al., 2017).