Question

A health services coordinator is working with an internet technology (IT) professional to fix a problem with the electronic medical records (EMRs) software at a behavioral health facility. The IT professional must view protected health information (PHI) of patients while fixing the software. What should the health services coordinator do to ensure HIPAA compliance?

Answer 1

To ensure HIPAA compliance when working with an IT professional to fix a problem with electronic medical records (EMRs) software at a behavioral health facility, the health services coordinator should train the IT professional on HIPAA regulations, implement strict access controls and security measures, and create a formal agreement or contract.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to ensure HIPAA compliance when working with an IT professional to fix a problem with electronic medical records (EMRs) software at a behavioral health facility, the health services coordinator should take the following steps:

1. Ensure that the IT professional is trained on HIPAA regulations and understands the importance of patient privacy.
2. Implement strict access controls and security measures to protect the PHI of patients, including encryption, firewalls, and user authentication.
3. Create a formal agreement or contract with the IT professional that outlines their responsibilities to maintain the confidentiality of the PHI and specifies how the data will be handled and protected during the software fix.