Ten Activities to Safeguard Patient Privacy in Urgent Care

The following tips were published in an article titled: "Ten Activities to Safeguard Patient Privacy in Urgent Care" from the Urgent Care Association of America.  The article was written for Urgent Cares, but could apply to any medical practice.

1. Conduct a Privacy Audit
• Verify a Notice of Privacy (NOP) is provided to every patient and it is posted in plain sight by the front desk.
2. Train Your Staff on HIPAA
• Provide refresher training every year after their initial training
3. Consider the Patient Sign-In Sheet
• Cross off checked-in patients with a black marker or keep the list behind the counter
4. Designated Staff-Escort and Staff-Only Areas
• To ensure patient privacy all workstations, file rooms, etc. 
5. Keep Patient Records, Papers and Computer Monitors Out of View
• To ensure patient privacy have computers and fax machines should be in a separate room with a sign that is "restricted area"
6. Have Electric Shredder of Locked Shred Bins Available
• Necessary so patient privacy is not recovered by "dumpster divers"
7. Limit Conversations About Patient Health Information (PHI)
• Don't "discharge" patients in the halls or talk about their account at the front desk
8. Verify Telephone and Fax Numbers; Mail and Email Addresses
• Allows improvements to billing and collection successes
9. Require Individual Passwords and Activate Screen Savers
• To prevent unauthorized use only give the password to the user of that particular computer
10. Consider and Act Upon Patient Comments
• If a patient has a complaint about their privacy, make the appropriate changes to your system

To view the full article, please click the following link: Ten Activities to Safeguard Patient Privacy in Urgent Care

For additional billing and coding resources, please click the following link: Medical Reimbursement Billing and Coding Resources