Launch coincides with the start of HIPAA audits; MyHIPAA Guide Publisher authors accredited course
Troup, Tx. — April 15, 2016 — Pedagogy Inc., a continuing education company for healthcare providers, announces a vital new online course to counter a growing number of publicly reported incidents of patient information posted to social media.
Nurses, technicians and other healthcare workers are often the culprits, with information and photos originating from physician offices, hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities.
Last year, reports co-published by ProPublica and the Washington Post revealed startling examples of abuses, including some patients exposed naked on SnapChat and other platforms.
In a case reported last month by USA Today, a New York nurse took photos of an unconscious patient’s penis, and shared them with co-workers. The nurse initially faced a felony charge, but agreed to give up her nursing license for a reduced sentence.
Pedagogy’s new course coincides with the start of long-awaited federal audits under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Meanwhile, in a 2016 survey co-sponsored by the nonprofit Health Care Compliance Association, participating healthcare providers ranked social media as their #1 compliance concern.
The new course is authored by Diane Evans, Publisher of Akron, Ohio-based MyHIPAAGuide.com, a news and information service to help healthcare providers stay compliance with HIPAA rules.
Course participants will receive instruction in how:
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Patient information really does end up on social media
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Daily carelessness threatens the privacy patient health information, and exposes providers to liabilities
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Even simple risk-mitigation practices help safeguarding patient information
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A culture of vigilance can prevent bad practices that can lead to breaches
For information about the course, contact [email protected]. For more information on social media breaches in healthcare, contact Diane Evans at [email protected].