In regards to HIPAA, it’s important to know where the obligations of court reporters and the profession as a whole fit. Joe Dyleweski, managing director for Health Care Management, and Jon Moretti, vice president of the Moretti Group, present a wealth of information about HIPAA compliance during their recent e-seminar.
Moretti starts the presentation by giving a history of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and how important it is, especially now that a lot of delicate information is saved electronically. Dyleweski and Moretti also make the legislation simpler to understand by providing their version of HIPAA 101 when it comes to court reporters. In fact, the court reporter’s role when doing a patient’s deposition needs to be taken very seriously.
The e-seminar also presents a case study that includes the challenges presented, what was discovered, and how it was remedied. There are always lessons learned, but the bottom line still remains that court reporters need to have safeguards in place. When working with independent consultants, it’s also important to have an agreement so they understand what’s expected, especially when starting a new assignment. Even an IT company or department should understand the delicate nature of working with sensitive information.
Anybody who has access to personal health information has to understand HIPPA and understand the responsibility that comes with it. Moretti adds, “You have a responsibility to protect the patient’s information. You don’t want to ignore it because it is enforced. And you could be liable for violations of these rules.”
This must-see e-seminar is now available in NCRA’S online collection.
